In Confusion
by Liz M. J
Summary: Where the bad is good, the good is bad, the dead is still living and the young is older. N/K, N/I, Nj:N. Clean, coarse, itchy, with subtitled violence. Confuse the cursed ones. Suggested soundtrack: Mozart's Requiem. I slacken. My Bloody Ruby.
1. I Dumped You Again

Introitus: Requiem Aeternam_  
_

_Faith lies ahead, like the sun will rise_

Leaving Gaara to his country and going back to Konoha, the Jinchuuriki from the Leaf, his teacher and his peers were feeling too happy to think about the problem the Jinchuuriki himself was facing – they just saw another one like him being killed – and they had to resurrect him.  
Naruto was practically thinking only of his beloved Kazekage – he was:  
'_A__live and safe and it IS totally my pride.  
See, I'll get to his point too, I'll become Hokage and we'll reign side by side!'._  
Not that he wasn't sorry for the old woman, but someone has to die in every war.  
Kakashi was half dead, however happy – okay, everything went well.  
Half of the Akatsuki was dead the same – it had been worth its price.  
He was also thinking of his kids' skills – Naruto and Sakura were more and more proving him to be incredibly grown.  
Gaara was thinking:  
_'FUCK IT ALL I AM ALIVE'_  
- but just like Sakura did, he always managed to keep his stone-like serious face, when on the inside he was howling for joy.  
He prayed in silence and time by time exchanged a glance with Naruto.  
Sakura was thinking:  
_'Sasuke, Sasuke, THIS is your brother – he's so gonna kill you.  
And, when did Naruto become that AWESOME?'_ and '_Chii-O-Baa, you were such a great person.  
Thank you, really, heartily.  
I wish I will manage to become such a skilled ninja as you were, when I reach your age'.  
_The only one who managed to keep his head straight on the point, while they were all praying for the old woman's death, was Neji.  
Yeah, Neji.  
He stared at Naruto, in silence, realizing the peril – the total danger – that was hunting him.  
The Akatsuki.  
You say that guy dropping bombs?  
And the other, with puppets?  
And that shark-man?  
What about the immortal?  
And – ITACHI UCHIHA?  
He still was around.  
'_One good thing Sasuke could do, of course he isn't doing it…Instead of playing the puppy with Orochimaru couldn't he kill him?  
What a traitor…and Naruto still looks upon him as his beloved pseudo-brother.  
Well…I wouldn't have an Uchiha brother even if I had to be killed instead.  
Who cares for him?  
Naruto is left alone with himself, like always.  
Not that I particularly care…but Naruto will end up letting Sasuke kill him, if he goes on this way.  
I better have a talk with…Kakashi…'  
_Before they reached their homeland's gates, Neji asked him in fact:  
"I thought, there is something we must worry about now.  
Kakashi, the Kazekage is a Jinchuuriki just like Naruto is.  
Those guys can come at any moment here in Konoha, like they did there, and kidnap him.  
We have to think about something – you may give any light – you know more"  
"Not to say that, properly. I saw many things but it's not that I know such incredible matters.  
The one to ask here it's certainly Jiraya – and maybe Tsunade.  
If we only could ask Orochimaru himself…" and he laughed.  
"However, good point, Neji.  
Thank you.  
Are you sure you want to stay in Guy's team? It's an old thing between us -"  
Guy intervened:  
"Huh, so now you're trying to take me away my kids?  
Don't listen to him, Neji.  
You are so much skilled, Kakashi, that you don't NEED a third member.  
You're perfect just as you are, the three of you"  
"How could I stand you for all of these years?" said Kakashi, and he laughed again.

In Konoha, it was Neji himself to go and tell Jiraya.  
He reflected, in silence, for some minutes, looking in the void.  
Then he remembered something – he evoked a toad – Neji: '_oh, wow'_.  
They talked about something – a prophecy – a 'scroll' with something written on it.  
Then Jiraya said – "I may have found something, but I have to go there and ask the other major toads before I can act.  
Will you gently tell Naruto that I go and come back in – see – a week?"  
"Of course!"  
Neji went, told Naruto everything, and listened to his reply:  
"If it wasn't for you…who would have thought of it in time?  
Yes, you're right.  
I must protect myself.  
However I wanted to ask you something totally different.  
It's days that I notice that every time you look at me you start fixing me and then look like – you were astray, thinking of something else.  
It's like I reminded you – of something.  
What's up?"  
Neji, who was actually staring at him NOW, in silence, then said:  
"Oh, I don't totally know. I neither noticed I do. I'm sorry – is it annoying?"  
"No, absolutely – of course!  
If you shouted stupid things in my ears I think it would be, but in this way…what's up to laugh about?  
I bet you wouldn't like it the same! Let's try?"  
"I'm gonna kill you if you do something like that! Don't shout! Your voice is so loud..."  
"It's not loud! It's called HAPPY!"  
"Unless you think of Sasuke again…" said Neji, with a sad smile.  
"You too… you're all thinking that I should leave him, right?" replied him, even sadder.  
"Actually I'm the only one who thinks it, as far as I know – anyone wants to bring Sasuke back.  
He's one of us, in fact he's always been.  
But, personally, I don't _believe_ he will be willing to come back.  
He's completely different from your Sasuke – he already was when he left.  
He was stone cold frozen, blackened.  
I wonder if you will have _your_ Sasuke back"  
"I hope. No one's like him."  
"It isn't necessary to be like him to be good enough for you…"  
"I'm not saying this.  
I miss him.  
He's wronging, and I am his best friend – I still am his best friend.  
I have to protect him – even from himself, isn't it right?"  
"TOTALLY right.  
It's you, you are right.  
I'm only wondering about how can you consider him your peer – when it's quite obvious that he's a coward, and you're far more courageous and strong that he's ever been – and I think, will ever be.  
It's all, I didn't want to annoy you…"  
"You never care of annoying people, Neji…what's up?  
You're so worried?  
I think the Akatsuki will let me be quiet for some time…  
It's true, the last time it has been so difficult to make them leave…but they will wait for a week, no?  
Jiraya is coming back! Don't worry!"  
Neji stood up smiling and saying:  
"You know, if you weren't yourself, you'd probably have already broken down and get depressed for this Sasuke thing.  
But you _are_ yourself, and you are so strong…"  
Naruto smiled at him.  
"Have you seen Kakashi? I think I'm gonna eat some ramen!"  
"No, I didn't. But he will show up at the ramen place, some time. I think I'll come along."  
"Yay!"  
Jiraya came back only two days later – he had got his information and had to ask Naruto about his wills.

It took an entire day to Jiraya and Kakashi only to make him _understand_ the plan.  
"You are 16, aren't you?"  
"Yes…"  
"Ok, now – this prophecy says – okay, wait. This thing says that when you will be 22, okay? 22, you will have built a complete relationship with the Kyuubi – OKAY, you will control him. Alright?"  
"Right. And so? Now I'm 16."  
"I told you already fucking twice, shit, Naruto..." Kakashi sighed. "We want you to become 22."  
"Of course, I don't want to die before!" smiled him.  
"JIRAYA! Change!"  
Jiraya came in place of Kakashi while he went to relax his nerves a bit.  
"Okay, listen: you do this, and NEXT WEEK you will be 22. You understand?"  
"GREAT! It is wonderful! I will be 22 earlier! Haha! When do we begin?"  
"It's not a training, Naruto.  
We still have to convince the major toads – as I call them, but you will neither have to speak, okay?  
Don't even speak, I'll do it.  
Now, you have to come with me – by them.  
The TOADS, Naruto.  
You come with me – tomorrow we leave.  
There they will explain you everything... okay?"  
"Okay. Then?"  
"Then we will ask for someone else's help – you know that old woman who died to rescue Gaara?  
Her brother.  
He's there.  
THERE in the Kazekage's palace. Okay?"  
"Okay – so we go there?"  
"… no, right question.  
I think it would be better – we can go straight there from the toads. Okay?"  
"Okay. Then?"  
"We'll ask the Hokage's advice. She's really good in these things".  
"Huh.  
Wait, this means, we go to the toads, we go to Gaara, we go to the Hokage – and then I become 22.  
Okay, and I'll control the Kyuubi – so?  
What for?"  
"KAKASHI! Change!"

_Ad te omnis caro veniet._


	2. Happened Before

Kyrie

_The light has been gone for too long from your eyes_

Well, they went.  
The major toads weren't so happy of this idea:  
"We don't know and it's dangerous and the kid and" et cetera.  
But Naruto managed to convince them – saying something like:  
"Better than be killed and that they get the demon, nay?"  
The interesting thing was that Neji asked to join them and come along – but his justification was indubitable:  
"You will always need a sensitive ninja around".  
And he smiled to Naruto saying this.  
The toads agreed in the end, and gave them a big scroll, which Jiraya put in his clothes saying:  
"Go on to Gaara."  
The explanations the toads gave to Naruto sounded more or less like this:  
"In the next 6 years you'll develop a closer relationship with the demon.  
You will end up not only controlling it, but with him willing to be controlled by you.  
The demon will trust you, more than obey you.  
The demon will always have his free will, but his will is going to change in the next years – you will convince him to stay with you, believe in you and trust you upon everyone else.  
Thus, he will always choose to stay with you – he wouldn't LET the Akatsuki or Orochimaru or anyone else TAKE him away from you.  
You understand?"  
"…Okay, okay. I see" answered Naruto, thoughtful.  
Jiraya burst out:  
"How can you - ?" but the toad didn't answer him.  
He went on:  
"See, this is quite difficult.  
You aren't gaining six years, kid – you're losing them.  
From the day you get the 'upgrade', you should do everything in 4 months.  
Then we'll have to bring you back to your actual state – if we don't, you will stay 22, and grow up from there. This means you'll actually lose six years of your life. Is it all clear?"  
"Yes, but I think we'll manage to end it up – the Akatsuki is practically destroyed and – but I HAD a question! Only I forgot…"  
"Tell me, kid. Whatever."  
"Why can't you simply teach me how to do it now?"  
"Because you'd need years to learn it, it's something – apart from the fact that WE can't teach you, it's a You-Kyuubi thing – difficult and deep. You don't have the time now", answered Jiraya.  
"Okay…and?"  
"To make up for the rite, I need forty liters of your blood" said the toad, totally serious.  
"WHAT?"  
"Just joking…." And he laughed, quite like Jabba the Hutt would do.  
But Naruto laughed too, because – you know him.  
The toad went on:  
"Now seriously. I don't know who knows anything about this rite, but I think the old brothers in the Sand village would. However, I heard the female is dead – there is still the other one."  
Jiraya answered:  
"Yes, we're going there right now. Any other question, _kid_?"  
"None, _Erosennin_".  
The toads laughed.  
Jiraya blushed.  
Neji smiled.

When they came out in the light, he asked Naruto:  
"So you're becoming 22 in a week. It will be strange, to have you around older-"  
"Couldn't you say 'bigger'?" replied him, smiling quite bitterly.  
"Okay, okay..." Neji laughed.  
The old brother repeated the same things to Naruto – adding:  
"Believe me, son, come back to youth.  
You will think it is cool to be bigger – but after they've passed, you'll see how much the years were worth".  
Naruto nodded.  
When they left, Neji added:  
"Sometimes I think that also Sasuke is a 'were worth'.  
But you know him better than anyone else.  
I'm only sorry I was so stupid years ago – if I had got the wit to choose to know you, you would have ended up being alright.  
Not like you are now, I mean – completely – complete.  
Alright."  
"You're really becoming more and more kind.  
I bet this is another of my miracles – I only wonder why I'm able to save anyone, except HIM!"  
"Cause he's a recidivist.  
He knows he needs, he knows you can – that's why he doesn't want.  
But I admit: if I was in his situation, I would easily end up the same.  
It's the fact, I think, that he actually LOVED his brother – his betrayal is the thing he couldn't stand.  
But in the end he actually betrayed YOU"  
Naruto was sad, but they went on talking – when they came back to Konoha, with the scroll and everything, and went to the Hokage to talk with her – to Naruto it was quite natural, that Neji came along.  
And Neji listened to it all – and in the end said to Naruto:  
"Here, this is really a wonderful thing.  
This is actually perfect for you.  
And I really have to tell you something, in the end: you've always been the right one.  
Sasuke IS perfectly what you saw he is – YOUR Sasuke is the real one.  
I hope you end up bringing him back to himself…  
I'm sure he is missing himself, missing Konoha and missing everyone of us – but I actually think that if he comes back, it will be for you.  
You will bring him home, Naruto…you are his reason, his trigger.  
He will eventually understand that he needs you to be around.  
I can only say I'm happy – that the two of you became friends.  
That's really the destiny – you really look like brothers.  
But I've teased you enough – I will let you be free now!" and he laughed wholeheartedly.  
Naruto smiled, sighed and replied:  
"You understood.  
But don't try to lie to me – you want to say something else.  
C'mon, I go to celebrate my welcome home – with Ramen!"  
Neji followed.

In another place, the other twin – since we always thought they actually were like TWIN brothers, and this may be the reason why they were so close-hearted – had just decided that his lifestyle had to change.  
Sasuke had finished his training course – he had to move on now.  
He went to Orochimaru's room with the intention to kill him.  
He thought it was simple; Orochimaru was sick and ill, and weak. He thought.  
Orochimaru thought – he had already thought before - that he would come down to this choice – and was thoroughly prepared.  
Sasuke burst in his room, knocking with a chakra-powered blade through the wall – nailing Orochimaru's hands to the opposite wall and THEN entering the room.  
Orochimaru screamed – but then he laughed.

_Kyrie, Eleyson_


	3. Can't Take It No More

SEQUENTIA:  
Dies Irae

_But you never changed, never played your part_

Sasuke didn't react.  
He was concentrated, thoughtful - a single thought pierced his brain cortex and left no space for distraction.  
He went on walking, while Orochimaru went on laughing.  
Sasuke had a reason to be so confident.  
His mind was blinded, sunken by the light of this single obsession - his goal to reach.  
The urge to do it had erased the perception of everything else.  
Nothing else mattered.  
Sasuke was fixed on a matter alone - his urge.  
The urge works like hunger does.  
Where the hunger sinks you in the light of missing shadow (that is missing matter - the missing food), the urge sinks you in the shadow of missing light: missing movement - missing action.  
You feel hunger for matter and urge to act.  
The action Sasuke chose to undertake was the primar reason for which he decided to change his whole life.  
The day before he decided that in the end he had to develop the Mangenkyou.  
That's why he wanted to kill Orochimaru – not only because he wanted to go away, free.  
And survive.  
Orochimaru was the one closest to the 'best friend' the Mangenkyou needed: a person who needs you and knows you.  
It didn't mention 'love' or even 'affection'.  
The Mangenkyou could be gained killing the 'closest person' you had.  
Sasuke thought, when he understood this, that if it had relied on affection Itachi would have killed _him_, not Shisui. '_Whew'_.  
The Mangenkyou, he thought, was the key frame: the threshold to pass if he wanted to reach his brother.  
In fact he didn't really want to _reach_ him; he wanted to kill him.  
But if he had to kill him he had to be at least at his same level. So…  
Nothing is powerful enough to distract one from the urge - it may work for aims, wills, even goals.  
But the urge is easily misunderstandable, you can always mistreat it - and treat it like a whim.  
If you underrate his power you will underappreciate his solving, valuing it as less important than it really is.  
And thus less dangerous.  
But Sasuke didn't; his mind was getting more and more cold, so he forgot feelings and even whims (he!) to GET TO HIS GOAL.  
He thought that attacking Orochimaru by surprise, when he was weak enough, would be sufficient.  
Orochimaru wasn't so weak, however, to let Sasuke kill him without a spark of struggle.  
You could see snakes flying all around the room, and some firebolt running behind them - Sasuke's sword.  
Orochimaru struggled: he had to risk his reincarnation chance, since – the most important thing was to survive.  
Had he to destroy Sasuke's body – what a loss.  
"You're really a pain in the ass, boy".  
He said this while Sasuke cut down to pieces his giant snake and he had to sneak away – to hide – to wait – he was coming – '_attack by surprise_'.  
He did – and Sasuke wasn't actually prepared – he had believed that the bleeding tokens of that giant snake were a sufficient proof of his death.  
And no, they weren't.  
It was Orochimaru's turn and he stroke back; Sasuke fell, but stood up again.  
He laughed.  
"Close enough…"  
They went on fighting, but the battle's end was tiptoeing nearer.  
They fought running to each other in the hallways, and Sasuke ran constantly slower.  
Orochimaru was spreading pieces of himself everywhere - but he wanted to end the fight.  
He thought of playing dead, sneak away and attack Sasuke again when he wouldn't expect it.  
Think like a snake.  
Sasuke went on in collecting injuries, while Orochimaru was getting weaker too – but he was Orochimaru.  
He changed six bodies in five minutes – the last one he used was the last one he could use.  
But the one who died in the end, incredibly, was Orochimaru.  
'Died' is a big word.  
Orochimaru couldn't actually die.  
Some of his cells – in his seal and his venom – were on and in Sasuke's body.  
And Sasuke was so stupid to believe it: when the actual Orochimaru's body he was fighting broke down to dust on the ground before him, he really believed that he was dead.  
Without spirit, without mind powers, without reincarnation trials.  
That Orochimaru, the one Sasuke was facing, actually died.  
But Sasuke himself was half dead – he could scarcely walk.  
He continued to, though – he had to go out of this place, Kabuto was still around – and he wasn't able to oppose him, now.  
Sasuke didn't actually foresee the truth.  
The one thing Sasuke didn't think of was: that in that same place there was _another_ Orochimaru, or well a person who was actually _possessed_ by Orochimaru – the same seal thing.  
But another kind of seal: this one allowed Orochimaru to spring up out of that person's body, in a physical shape.  
Orochimaru crawled to one of the rooms in the shape of a minuscule snake, to call upon a guy.  
He had even thought of another strategic clue: let's hide.  
He activated the possession of this guy's mind, and he made him walk behind Sasuke, in his proper demise.  
Hide - inside him.  
Sasuke saw him walking calmly, looking at his face and then lowering his eyes - and going on his way.  
He trusted his own belief - this guy was simply thinking of his business.  
This person – a blond guy – then stopped, turned back and began to walk, in complete silence, behind him.  
The same moment Sasuke felt him, this guy actually vomited Orochimaru.  
Who came to Sasuke and attacked him; in few minutes he was – dead, yeah, but for the moment.  
Orochimaru had decided that he had already paid the bill - so now he would eventually get the stuff.  
He laughed at Sasuke, he laughed and walked to him; he picked up the body and brought it in his 'chamber of experiments' in that place.  
He began the reincarnation.

Itachi felt it.  
He was with the other Akatsuki members when he felt that sudden ache stabbing the heart – and he knew, he knew.  
He didn't shout, he didn't cry.  
He told the other ones what happened and said they had to kill him.  
He sprang up, grabbed Deidara's collar, called the other ones and brought them all to – Orochimaru.  
They went there flying - Deidara had to create two birds to carry all of them.  
They attacked at sunrise, the same moment they arrived there.  
Orochimaru had had the time to recover; but he wasn't prepared.  
He had foreseen their attack; he relied on Itachi's revenge as the only chance left for him to GET HIS HANDS on him too.  
Itachi was another wonderful prey - leaving him in standby for some years, after Sasuke he would have had HIS body.  
When the Akatsuki arrived, Deidara had still half of his clay.  
He blasted up the entrance, and they actually didn't open doors or walk down halls - they pierced the walls directly, with Deidara's bombs.  
When they found Orochimaru the first thing Itachi did was looking for his brother.  
He stood still before Orochimaru, some five meters away, and looked around - there he was.  
Hanging tight hands and chest from some machine, he had cables plugged in his body.  
Okay, he was alive.  
Orochimaru was trying to keep him alive while he reincarnated.  
The only thing they could do was DISTRACT him.  
Deidara was told by Itachi to go and find some other clay, they would need it afterwards.  
He went, after killing Kabuto.  
Just in case...  
Itachi ordered the other ninjas to attack Orochimaru, all together.  
He waited for Hidan and Kisame to do their work, use their skills and weapons - Hidan tried even to make up for his rite, but the floor simply rejected his circle.  
Then Deidara came back, with a shitload of ammos, and Itachi called him to battle beside him.  
Then he put out HIS Mangenkyou; the result of his total fucking wrath was a combination of Amaterasu and Susanoo.  
Something you could soundtrack with a good, heavy, mighty Industrial Radium remix.  
Itachi Fucking Uchiha.  
In fact the giant skeleton was throwing around balls of black fire while Deidara ran howling like a bitch "YEEEEAAAAHHHH!" and strafing animals all around the place.  
Itachi ended up almost blinded, but they killed Orochimaru.  
And they actually rase the entire place to ashes, just to make sure that nothing of Orochimaru's being survived.  
Hidan and Kisame fell in battle - Deidara thought that he may had missed the target, with some bombs.  
However, Itachi didn't give a fuck and Deidara thought '_Well I will survive the same'_.  
The Akatsuki members weren't properly loving each other, you know...  
As soon as he could Itachi got his hands on Sasuke's body and tried to rescue him – he was dead, okay, but they knew some useful tricks – to get him back.  
They began working on it – Deidara was sent to fly around asking help.  
No one had asked Itachi:  
'_What the fuck do we give about your brother?'  
_No one actually had wanted to stand against Itachi – he was renowned for his violence and cruelty.  
He…  
Moreover, Deidara stood on his side, no one understood why.  
This was another good reason to follow them and shut up.  
Deidara came back with nothing in hand - he couldn't find no one near there, and he didn't want to leave Itachi alone.  
The truth was that in the same moment in which Itachi grabbed _his_ collar and dragged _him_ forcedly to save his brother, Deidara realized that in some way Itachi relied on _him_, he _chose_ him.  
And Itachi Uchiha was a man whose values counted - whose judgement weighted.  
Deidara felt proud of himself - in 19 years he never actually _could _believe that someone appreciated him.  
In the end, they however had to give it up.  
They knew a way – but they needed more, far more chakra than their human one.  
They needed the Kyuubi.

_Dies Irae, dies illa solvet Saeclum in favilla_


	4. These Foolish Games

Tuba Mirum 

_And you have erased all the fear from your heart, and tried to forget_

The rite to shift Naruto forward of six years was long and difficult, but it didn't involve his blood.  
The toads, Tsunade and Jiraya had to work hard for hours to get him through.  
Kakashi was waiting out of the door, when he in the end heard a scream, a boom and a laugh – Naruto's laugh.  
Jiraya came out of the room totally upset and shouted:  
"I'm gonna kill him! Kill him! I always liked jokes – but he is INCREDIBLE!"  
Kakashi laughed out loud, while Naruto went out of the room himself, smiling and giggling.  
Jiraya sulked. He didn't look at him for a quarter of hour, until Naruto burst out angry:  
"You have always to be so childish!"  
"UH, I'm the child now! See him, he's become 20, and now I'M the child! Huh! Maybe!"  
"Why have you TWO always to act that way?" said Tsunade laughing too.  
Kakashi didn't speak.  
From the same moment Naruto came out of there, in his new demise, he had kept silent.  
And watched him.  
Completely baffled – he had even the mouth open, but no one noticed it with the mask.  
Naruto was very little changed, in fact.  
His hair was a bit longer – it reached the shoulders; the scars on his cheeks were a bit faded.  
But the face was quite the same; that childish – we can eventually say: feminine – face.  
Big blue eyes, blond brows and lashes; the great difference was made by the hair.  
His face was free, since now the hair lay back behind the ears.  
The result was such a DOLL face, a CHERUB face, ok, but he wasn't that child no more, now.  
He was 22.  
It meant he was ONLY 6 years younger than Kakashi.  
Who was rightly facing an identity crisis because of him.  
Naruto was as tall as Kakashi, a bit stronger than before.  
His Sensei was totally fed up, he followed them to the Ramen place walking like a zombie.  
However, Naruto needed two hours to notice that Kakashi wasn't so talkative.  
And that he was constantly eyeing him and looking astray – lost in his thoughts.  
'_Just like Neji does…'_ thought Naruto.  
'_There must be a reason, the same reason! But I don't get it. However, where's Neji? And what would Sasuke think – HAHA! I'm bigger than him! Huhuhuhu…"  
_Seeing him smiling, Kakashi smiled himself, unwillingly.  
But then he blinked, turned to look away again and sighed.  
Naruto saw him doing it, and began to get a little upset – what the hell was the problem now?  
"Kakashi."  
"Huh?" he shook like he had been taken aback, in answering him.  
"Well…what do you think?"  
It was like he had killed him.  
Kakashi stopped breathing, then swore in loud voice – he never actually did before – and cleared his throat.  
"Cause – well – you're alright – it is all – I mean – ended well – yes – okay – great thing. I'm going to look for Gai…"  
Naruto laughed to himself while he stood up and walked away.  
Then he turned to Jiraya and asked:  
"What's wrong with him? He's so strange!"  
"I bet he's feeling old. Now he faces it too!"  
Tsunade laughed, and Neji joined the company sitting at their table.  
He was starting to say something, but stopped when he saw Naruto – he looked at him for a whole minute, mouth open and eyes wide.  
"Oh, Jesus Christ. Hello. You're alright?"  
He looked breathless.  
Naruto couldn't keep himself from bursting out laughing like an idiot – "What's up with you two? You're mad?"  
Neji's face changed, darkening. "You TWO who?"  
"You and Kakashi…am I so different from myself?" he stopped, looking at the table and 'reflecting'. "This is impossible…" and laughed again.  
Neji smiled.  
"You look like a kitty." And laughed, devilish.  
"You bastard…" Naruto hit him on the head, and Neji laughed.  
But in his eyes you could see he was seriously thinking about something – you could even tell he was really angry.  
Angry, but why? That "TWO", the tone he used to say it.  
Naruto was stupid, and we all know it, but he was neither blind nor brain-addled. He noticed it.  
"Can we talk privately for a minute, yeah? I got to ask you something…"  
Neji got pale, but answered "Yes, of course" and followed him.

"Okay, first of all don't try to lie to me.  
You are both strange, you and Kakashi – but I now have to know the reason why you got angry.  
That you are baffled of seeing me older, okay, but you two are really behaving strangely.  
What's wrong? You look me like I was a-"  
"WERE. Like I were. Okay. Then-"  
"Gne gne gne…grammar ninja…" and he laughed.  
Neji grabbed his shoulder and moved his head nearer, to look him straight in the eyes – it was strange actually because Naruto was taller than him, Neji had to raise his eyes to get at him.  
"You're saying that Kakashi is reacting just like me, huh?  
And you still don't get it…Well…"  
"What's up with this thing?  
He's got the right to react like he wants.  
And by the way, why shouldn't he do it when you do?"  
Neji didn't answer.  
He knew he could only lose the race against Kakashi. He changed subject:  
"What about Sasuke? What do you think of him now?"  
"Still and again…you're obsessed. Were you a woman I'd think you liked him…"  
"I despise him more than I despise Orochimaru.  
It's not him the matter, fuck it, Naruto!  
How can you be so stu…  
Okay, I apologize.  
What about it? Tell me."  
Naruto gulped.  
The tone was that of an order – and he didn't totally like Neji's behavior.  
However it was too difficult to explain it to him, and he had the neat feeling that this conversation had to be put up the soonest possible.  
In fact he didn't feel sure of himself – he didn't want to stay there alone with him anymore.  
'_This is all so strange. Why am I feeling this way?'  
_"Neji…let me explain it once and for all.  
He's my best friend.  
You are all friends to me, but he is my best friend.  
Okay?  
You, Shikamaru, Kakashi, and the others, you are all equally important to me. And-"  
"Equally important means equally unimportant".  
His voice tone was freezing.  
He was totally fucking angry – and Naruto got angry the same.  
"Why the fuck are you acting this way?  
Where's the problem?  
It's gone like it!  
Okay?  
No one keeps you from staying with me – I mean; I'm not kicking you out of my life since Sasuke comes back!  
All right?  
Won't you tell me where the fuck the problem is?  
Okay, I still believe he WILL be my best friend again-"  
"When he sees your face it's practically impossible that he thinks of _friendship_" he said, with a spiteful smile.  
"What – do you mean?"  
He looked at him, puzzled, then realized and pushed his hand off his shoulder. Then he said:  
"You've completely wronged it.  
I don't think – but how the fuck could something like this –yeah tell me what's wrong with my face again!" he shouted.  
Neji grabbed his hair with a hand and pushed him before him, turned to the window of the house opposite to them.  
"You see?" he said to his nape.  
"You SEE it?" he repeated, then left him and stepped back.  
Naruto was completely upset – and bewildered.  
He couldn't deny it – but it still wasn't RIGHT.  
He turned suddenly serious, that face he wore when he was sad – looking like he was old.  
"Okay, maybe I have to explain you this.  
I must want it– and I DON'T want.  
End of discussion"  
And he walked past Neji to come back inside.  
Who stopped him, blocking his way.  
He looked him right in the eyes, having the same glance of a predator looking his prey right before him – and defenseless.  
Then he smiled, he grinned, he grabbed his face and caressed it.  
"Try to get near Kakashi and you'll regret having done this rite".  
He forcedly moved Naruto's head closer and kissed him – getting a slap as reply.  
Neji laughed. "Worth its price…"  
"You are all gone completely mad. Do it again, you…I'll…" he stopped, sighed and said "But why the fuck have you to create problems?"  
He went inside, and Neji went away.

But it wasn't so easy with Kakashi.  
Naruto faced an identity crisis himself, when Kakashi came back and they both knew – and they both felt.  
They both felt the thrill, something that took them the breath away – as they were resisting to a powerful thing.  
It was so difficult to resist, it was like an urge – not that it suddenly appeared in their minds, they CONSTANTLY felt it.  
It was a mixture of fear, desire, want, urge, _'no'_, _'yes'_ and _'god'_, _'why?'_ and _'why not?'_, repulsion, attraction, inability to comprehend and perfect knowledge of the thing they faced - which they knew they'd like.  
It was easier for Naruto, since he still was that young – he was wondering about something he never did.  
Kakashi doubted of something he had already done for years, and which he thought he perfectly knew.  
And now it turned out to have another face – another demise, which he thought wasn't his thing; but he wanted it.  
It's not easy, we all know.  
Were they females, it would have been easier – luckily Naruto was Naruto and didn't get paranoid.  
He couldn't.  
The most difficult thing was to be near, next to each other, in 'danger' of contact.  
Temptation.  
Attraction, gravity – they knew that being near would mean, before or after, falling in it.  
Kakashi repeated almost every day to Naruto that he actually was "still younger" – _TOO young_, subtitle – and that he was "such an handsome guy" – _MALE_, subtitle – "that every woman" – _WOMAN_ – "and actually even Sakura" would be "interested in him".  
Naruto was glad but wasn't prone to believe these lies.  
He couldn't simply refuse to comprehend – this thing was happening.  
Kakashi's thoughts were important things; he couldn't '_simply don't give a fuck about him and act like nobody had problems'_.  
Then the most important thing was – Naruto felt it the same.  
He had to face the fact that his admiration for Kakashi had never been admiration, that under this demise there was more than affection – there was attraction.  
That if he subtitled his past thoughts he could read '_if I were a female I know I'd conquer him, I'd take him, to be mine'_.  
It was even more difficult for Kakashi since, when he unwillingly touched him – a hand on the shoulder, a pat on the head, grabbing his arm – Naruto shivered and held his breath.  
But Naruto faced a worse identity crisis when he realized that he hadn't thought of Sasuke for a whole week.  
It was all '_Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi'_ – '_when do I see him, when does he come here, what he does, what he says, what he thinks'_ – '_Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi'_.  
He was stuck on Kakashi, and Kakashi was stuck on him.  
Sometimes he didn't answer to Gai or Jiraya because he was looking or thinking of him. Then he always sighed.  
Naruto decided to challenge him, to posit a goal, a game to win or lose.  
'Win or lose' meant saying yeas or no.  
Once they were sitting on some roof, he, Kakashi and Jiraya, Naruto asked his sensei to let him look under his mask.  
Kakashi didn't even think of it. He did.  
Yeah, the bunch of scars lining his face was quite awkward – but Naruto told him that it would be actually better if he wore:  
"his own face around. Won't you be ashamed of it? You look really badass like it! And of course you're always beat-"  
Kakashi coughed turning his face away, while he blushed and ended up nearly choking himself.  
Naruto blushed the same, but Jiraya didn't notice it.  
He was looking at someone who stood up down in the street, leaning against a wall, looking at them seriously.  
He recognized him – but he didn't say a word.  
He was Neji.  
Naruto asked Kakashi:  
"Do you think Sasuke will eventually come back?"  
Kakashi replied, seriously:  
"Of course.  
Don't even think of it.  
This isn't a justification; we have to bring him back.  
Maybe you won't need him anymore – but he has to come back home"  
Naruto answered:  
"I was simply thinking that after all he can live freely – or well, if I continue to harass him, it won't work.  
Maybe he just doesn't want to come back because I annoy him.  
No?"  
"No.  
You could be the only one reason for which he chooses to come back.  
No, it doesn't work, Naruto, it hasn't – connections – with … I…"  
"I'm ok, Kakashi.  
Alright?  
I'm ok.  
It's ok.  
Ok to me.  
All right?"  
Kakashi hesitated.  
"Yeah..." he sighed, looking him.

_Resurget creatura – liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur_


	5. I Will Take You Back

Rex Tremendae

_The light in your eyes keeps fading now, night's falling deeper in the heart_

Half an hour after the end of this conversation, Kakashi had left Naruto there asking Jiraya to go with him. The confession he made to him was really interesting, but we will skip it.  
We will – shift forward.  
Jiraya's reaction was laughing.  
And then, suddenly turning serious, he said (classic):  
"Hurt him and I kill you."  
Kakashi laughed.  
"Am I such an idiot? I'd kill myself first.  
I'm so AFRAID.  
This is all too strange. Can it be normal? Can it be right? Can it be right FOR HIM?  
Ain't I too old for him?  
Jesus Christ, Jiraya!  
I don't want to fuck up everything with – him.  
Whatever, but this we got is already – perfect. And I ask for more. Am I so stupid?"  
Jiraya looked at him, smiling.  
"I always knew you were intelligent.  
You are clever, good, brave, responsible, TRUSTWORTHY – yeah, Kakashi, it's alright.  
But just – huh – WAIT TO GET HANDS on him – if you understand what I mean.  
I think I could actually KILL you."  
"Okay, okay, OKAY – this is the first problem! Okay, perfect solution – waiting IS alright.  
It's _resisting_ that is fucking impossible.  
I shouldn't even see him.  
Jiraya – I am not made of ice…"  
Jiraya's face was as hard as concrete.  
He snarled, but didn't say a thing.  
He patted Kakashi's shoulders and said:  
"Good luck, guy.  
And if you need anything – you know, not that I ever tried this– but I'm here.  
Dear god, Kakashi, you two – you are so courageous".  
"Mh…oh, you'll help me? Yes?  
I've never felt so much helpless in all my life. You realized I miss – him? NOW?  
Five minutes and I – I'll come back…" he sighed again.  
Jiraya could only wait before Kakashi turned around the corner – and then he couldn't help laughing, again.  
'_How lucky I am. Of all the people who could take interest in my boy, it has been the best one possible!'  
_Kakashi was going to Naruto, when he heard his voice shouting "DON'T!" and he also heard some chaos, coming from a total mess happening at Konoha's gates.  
He suddenly _forgot_ the first scream when he saw WHO was the reason of this mess: ITACHI UCHIHA.  
"What the fuck are YOU doing here?" he screamed, running there.  
Luckily this mess had distracted also someone else; Naruto arrived there panting , jumping from roof to roof – and he was the first one to see – it.  
The scream was loud – the screams were many.  
His screams – total panic.  
"What" and "HEY" and "Wait" and "No" and "Fuck" and "Please", before the "YOU!" he roared at Itachi.  
"It has not been ME.  
It has been Orochimaru.  
I never wanted to kill my brother".  
Naruto ran there and grabbed Sasuke's body, he embraced it – and began to cry.  
Itachi stared at him motionless.  
Kakashi went there too and asked him:  
"Where's Orochimaru? What the fuck's happened?"  
"We killed him. We, the Akatsuki.  
We came here to ask _your_ help" he said to Naruto.  
"What…? Help – for what?  
You think you – we can – bring – HIM – back…?"  
He cried again, sobbing, grabbed Kakashi's arm – whose owner embraced him – Naruto hid the head in his chest.  
But from there he talked again to Itachi:  
"We can do it? You – me-" and couldn't go on.  
His voice broke.  
Itachi said in half voice:  
"Yes. Maybe. We can try. We know a way. We need the Kyuubi. NOT THAT – the Kyuubi's chakra. We need his chakra, okay?"  
Naruto watched him and answered:  
"YES! I can…? Wow!"  
Behind Itachi, someone was trying to hide from Kakashi and Naruto – a blond someone.  
"Deidara…" called him Itachi.  
"Come here. I have to talk to you.  
You're a criminal, these guys remember the Kazekage thing – they won't let you in and you'd better go away and wait for me to come back. I'll ask to come in with Sasuke"  
Deidara:  
"Naay…yep. I go…I'll look for…things…I believe…"  
He jumped on his bird and flew away.  
The Leaf ninjas kept respectful silence before Itachi holding Sasuke's body, and Naruto crying in Kakashi's arms.  
Kakashi ordered to Itachi:  
"Come in. We go to talk with Tsunade. You'll have to explain everything".  
Itachi nodded.  
Naruto followed him, grabbing Sasuke's hand and walking beside them – Kakashi holding his hips, without even thinking of it – it was natural.  
But not everyone was thinking only of Sasuke – not everyone passed over this strange behavior of his.  
Neji put out the Byakugan on them, and, maybe feeling his mind, Kakashi suddenly remembered of the shout he heard before.  
"What happened? Why did you shout?"  
Naruto didn't answer, but looked hatefully somewhere –at Neji.  
Kakashi followed his eyes and in the same moment he watched him, Neji's face changed – relaxed.  
"What happened, Naruto? What's up with him?"  
"Not now, Kakashi…Sasuke…"  
He looked at Neji again and added: "The last thing I want is to think of him now".

Deidara obeyed Itachi's orders – he was totally acting as he was his master.  
He trusted Itachi, he followed Itachi, he obeyed Itachi, he always asked Itachi – Itachi was wise and expert and responsible.  
Deidara – maybe. But not now, he had only begun to consider him his chief commander.  
He flew over the forest, bored, looking everywhere to find something interesting.  
Then he saw – OH – Tobi?  
He flew down to him – "Where the hell have you been all of this time? You still wear the uniform and the ring – I thought you betrayed us…"  
"No, no, actually no, it's a long story" laughed him… "But what the hell is happened?"  
"Or, well, Orochimaru killed Sasuke, and we killed Orochimaru, who killed Kisame and Hidan – don't ask, he _killed_ him – or well, I think I may have killed them – but killing _Hidan_ isn't that simple - I don't know! However Itachi and me, we tried to rescue him, and we couldn't – so he brought him to Konoha, cause he needs the chakra of the Kyuubi – and I saw the Jinchuuriki, yeah! He's older! I don't know what the fuck he's done, but he's older and his hair's longer and the scars have faded and he was totally – OOH you'll know – he and that guy-"  
"The scars have faded?"  
"Yes. I don't know more. Is there something wrong?"  
"Deidara…fly back there, find Itachi and ask him WHY this happened.  
I have to know…"  
"Huh. Ok.  
However I was telling you that he and that guy with the mask-"  
"He and me, what?" said Tobi, and laughed.  
"What I'm gonna use to kill you!"

In Konoha, Itachi was talking NOT with Naruto – but with the Kyuubi.  
He had actually entered Naruto's mind and talked with Kurama about the thing.  
The demon thought it wasn't possible – it was too difficult.  
But they could try, he said; Itachi answered: yes.  
The demon had been kind in helping him, but you know, he WAS kind now – and he had even another reason to do it: Itachi had actually _begged_ him, calling him _tremendous demon.  
_Fox tremendae.  
Itachi implored him, knelt literally down before him, while Naruto couldn't keep himself from laughing – it was incredible.  
But Itachi was serious, the thing was serious.  
Sasuke was a serious matter.  
Sasuke had to be resurrected.  
But Naruto couldn't help laughing – until Itachi went there (always in his mind, but they moved in it like it was actual space) and tapped his mouth with a hand, while the Kyuubi reflected on his answer.  
You know, Naruto was quite sensitive to things like that – men – in those days.  
He blushed and looked Itachi, motionless.  
He first thought of Kakashi and blushed even more, but then he thought of Neji and got angry, again.  
The Kyuubi felt it – he saw and felt everything Naruto felt and thought – and chose his answer:  
"Uchiha Itachi.  
Keep that motherfucker quiet and I'll help you.  
The one thing we must keep in mind is that we can try how many times we want; it can't go worse than this."  
"Alright.  
By the way, what happened?" he asked to Naruto, leaving his mouth.  
"Ehr. You – understood –what is – Kakashi – and me?"  
"… No. What?"  
"We…both…kind of…you know, well, Kakashi and me…wee…ehm…"  
"OOH. Okay.  
And then?  
'This motherfucker', who, by the way?"  
"Neji.  
Hyuuga Neji. You know him?"  
"Of course, I remember. Huh. He doesn't agree. Yes?"  
"Uhu.  
He – is – harassing me.  
He tried – or well – he got violent."  
"AH. Okay.  
I'll talk to him.  
But if I do, it may turn against me.  
I'm in a bad situation, here…okay, I'll see."  
They went out of Naruto's mind, and told Jiraya and Kakashi and Tsunade the whole matter.  
Except Neji's thing.  
That same evening Deidara came to Konoha's gates and threw a bomb in the air, from some hiding he was in.  
The Leaf and the Sand were allies, and the earlier could go against him to please the latter.  
So he hid and called Itachi from there, with that bomb.  
Itachi saw the explosion, understood and went there to him; Deidara asked him about the Jinchuuriki, and Itachi answered.  
They couldn't get the Kyuubi anymore; he was completely changed.  
Even if they took it out of Naruto, in whatever way (thing that Itachi didn't want to do, as he told Deidara), the Kyuubi wouldn't want to kill or destroy anything.  
Deidara was left puzzled.  
He told Itachi of Tobi and his strange questions, and Itachi felt some thrill.  
"Look over him. LOOK over him. Go and follow him, and tell me everything."  
"But why don't you want to hurt the Jinchuuriki?"  
"… I don't even know, Deidara. But it's like that."  
"Okay! I go!"  
Itachi came back in Konoha to go to Kakashi.  
He found Naruto there. "You told him of Neji?"  
"No…"  
"What Neji?" asked Kakashi, nervous.  
"Nothing. It stopped. I talked with him"  
Naruto smiled. "Have you been a bad guy?"  
Itachi _laughed_. "Not yet. I can…"  
Naruto embraced him.  
Itachi was baffled and laughed – Kakashi laughed too.  
Then Itachi left hold on Naruto, walked to Kakashi and asked him:  
"Sasuke?"

_Rex tremendae maiestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis, salva me_


	6. Hurt You Once Again

Recordare

_Hiding the truth, you're crushing now - my baby's a dancer in the dark  
_

Kakashi answered Itachi:  
"Sasuke? Still the same.  
We will do it tomorrow.  
The doctors said he's completely gone – I mean he's dead.  
Tsunade was trying to resurrect him like Chii-O-Baa did, but first of all they'd need a sacrifice – no, it can't be you, I thought you'd say it.  
No, it must be the same person who heals him – to say, here it would be Tsunade.  
You come in of course.  
Do we need the other one, the blond guy?"  
Itachi answered:  
"No. Moreover, I sent him to look for something.  
There's something I must tell you: someone from the Akatsuki is behaving in a really strange way.  
It's a guy who joined us some months ago, he said he's called Tobi, he's got a mask and none of us ever saw his face.  
He asked Deidara – that blond guy, Naruto – about this Kyuubi thing you did.  
I wonder what the hell does he want from you – you two".  
Saying 'you' instead of 'the Kyuubi' his voice tone had changed – far more caring and deep.  
Naruto turned to the moon to hide his blushing.  
Kakashi didn't say a thing – he was thinking.  
"A guy with a mask…he could be anyone. Anyone.  
And now? He could be dangerous?"  
"I can't really tell.  
I didn't notice strange things about him, I only wonder that he never showed us particular skills of his".  
"Okay…Naruto."  
"Huh?"  
"I go home. Or well, where did they tell you you're sleeping tonight?" he asked Itachi.  
"They didn't tell me anything.  
But I think showing up in the police's central - it could be a good idea, hadn't I killed all of their colleagues some years ago.  
No, I don't think I'm gonna ask them. What about – I can stay with Sasuke."  
"I'm going there…"said Naruto.  
Kakashi answered the two of them:  
"Let's go, everyone…I think it would be impossible to think of something else than him tonight".  
Naruto looked at his face and blushed.  
And Itachi couldn't keep himself from smiling.  
Sasuke was lying motionless in bed.  
Sakura was sleeping on the floor near him; Shikamaru had fallen asleep on the chair out of the door.  
Tsunade was awake and staring at Sasuke's face, thinking.  
Naruto came in with Itachi, while Kakashi woke Shikamaru up and told him to go home, which thing he did.  
Naruto sat beside Sakura, right before the bed, took her head and put it on his knees – Kakashi looked them and smiled.  
He was talking with Tsunade and Itachi – serious matters.  
Naruto listened in silence, caressing Sakura's hair and thinking in the same time _'Am I giving her up?'  
_Itachi, the same, caressed Sasuke's hair with one hand, while with the other hand he kept Sasuke's one on his heart.  
"I've lost…lost."  
He mumbled what he was thinking.  
Kakashi paused.  
Then told Tsunade about that masked man thing.  
Tsunade didn't answer, but patted Itachi's head and said:  
"Tomorrow morning we try the first time.  
You and Kakashi can stay awake, but Naruto and me, it's better we got to bed. Kakashi?"  
"Okay. We're staying here.  
Huh, Tsunade, could you mind…taking also Sakura with you and staying with them.  
I wish we could call Jiraya too…"  
"Yeah, and then we get a hard party night…totally!" said Naruto, waking Sakura up.  
"You idiot. You are always so idiot" said she.  
Naruto answered:  
"I have to ask you some advice on a matter… it will be so strange to you! But think how much it'd be – IT WILL BE – for Sasuke…"  
He got sad again.  
Tsunade brought them out of the room, to look for Jiraya and then go in the Hokage's palace – they would really sleep there that night.  
Neji saw Sakura and Naruto walking side by side and appreciated.  
He saw Naruto and Itachi walk together and talking, and he didn't appreciate.  
He was tired of following Naruto like a shadow.  
To have always to wait, to wait until he was alone, to be the last of his neighbors, the last of his friends – and Naruto always avoided him, when there wasn't someone else there.  
He simply thought that the last two times had been enough – he didn't trust Neji, anymore.  
Quite normal, okay, for Naruto – but Neji was an evil head, and evil heads don't reason for good.  
Sometimes, the times when the matter is to handle with good, they simply stop reasoning.  
Neji had decided to become an evil head when he had a reason worth doing it – Naruto.  
Or well, to convince Naruto.  
He had no doubt that he _would_ want and like et cetera, if he only _thought_ of it; before, the problem was Sasuke, now the problem was evidently Kakashi.  
And Kakashi, we said, was a mortal enemy.  
He couldn't fight against Kakashi, Naruto would be unmovable about _him_; _his_ Kakashi.  
Neji was angry, but no one ever noticed - white eyes mean blank eyes. And blank eyes mean invisible thoughts.  
In his eyes you could only SEE the violence - since they darkened.  
Naruto saw those eyes getting almost black - he thought that this person before him wasn't him - those eyes were the eyes of an _animal_.  
A wolf dog.  
Nothing had ever made Naruto feel like a fox as Neji's eyes did.

The first trial was followed by another and a third – all failed.  
The Kyuubi said that there wasn't "point of entry, I can't simply plug in. I put all my chakra on him, but it can't take him.  
There is no room for it, all of Sasuke's skin is like – vicious – it sluices. What can we do now?"  
In Naruto's mind Itachi answered:  
"I don't know. He has to rest now. See you later…" he added, patting the Kyuubi's muzzle.  
The Kyuubi – kind of – _smiled _at him.  
Itachi went out and told Kakashi about what the Kyuubi said.  
Kakashi nodded, grabbed Naruto's arm and laid him down.  
Naruto was conscious, but very tired.  
Itachi sat down beside him.  
The third trial in a single day could only be the last – he suggested that they put the thing down for the moment, and after Naruto had recovered a little, that he ate something.  
Kakashi answered:  
"Let's bring him home now. I'll go to the ramen and get him something.  
You go and stay with him".  
Itachi did, and when Naruto woke up he found him so wasted – so sad – that he thought of helping _him:  
_"Hey, c'mon…it isn't surely your fault, nor mine.  
Now we'll have to see, tomorrow, we _will_ bring him back – I swore I'd do it!  
Believe me…hey, you're listening to me?"  
"… Yes.  
But it isn't so easy, boy.  
You can say it isn't easy at all.  
Now listen to me.  
Kakashi is arriving.  
Do you want me to leave you alone?  
I have something to do – I'm not gonna cry in mourning on the shore, believe me" he laughed.  
"Whatcha gonna do? You never do nothing here around."  
"You shut up this thing, okay?  
I've been asked to join the Anbus again, to pay for your service.  
I'll be an external informer, so you should really shut up – Kakashi will know the same, but you don't tell him. Okay?"  
"Okay. Now go, he's arrived.  
See you tomorrow…and…okay. Okay."  
Itachi smiled, then went.  
Kakashi came in. "Here we go, ramen!"  
"Yeah, Kakashi, you know Itachi told me – or well, no – ehm – he told you too before."  
Kakashi smiled at him and sat down.  
He watched Naruto, without speaking.  
He ate – or well, swallowed the ramen in a gulp – and began to watch Kakashi himself.  
Then Kakashi lowered his eyes:  
"You're gonna make me go mad. You do see it's not the – right time?"  
"C'mon, Kakashi, it's an old story.  
No.  
I'm big enough.  
This is not an excuse.  
We can't go on fooling ourselves this way.  
And Sasuke himself isn't an excuse.  
I'm sorry, but we don't have any-"  
"It just isn't that easy, Naruto!"  
Kakashi stood up and walked nervous around the room saying:  
"You realize that just WEEKS ago you were my student – and _now_ – we should – we have got – but it isn't – oh, I can't!  
Don't.  
Stop.  
I can't.  
You…it would only mess everything up".  
Naruto stood up the same and went by him.  
"No.  
No _no_.  
I won't allow _no_.  
Is it clear?  
No, Kakashi.  
_Don't stop_".  
Kakashi didn't answer.  
Naruto waited – for nothing.  
Kakashi didn't find a thing to say.  
In the end Naruto laughed.  
"Well it isn't necessary, thinking of it right now, no?  
We still can wait.  
However, think of Sasuke.  
What's the problem with that vicious thing covering him? What's that?"  
"An Orochimaru thing.  
But we have to be kind of watchful, since – this means there _is_ Orochimaru around inside Sasuke.  
Believe me, when you – the Kyuubi - puts hands on him, be careful – it can be that Orochimaru comes out.  
And say – _all_ the chakra you put out comes back?"  
Naruto went pale.  
"NO…"  
"Jesus. Now everything's clear.  
Sasuke didn't properly push him out of his mind – or well, he maybe was _already_ inside it when Itachi killed him.  
It was not so difficult…Now, don't get that sad.  
It's quite easy.  
Orochimaru will come out and we'll take him down, and free Sasuke.  
Okay?" he said, putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder – and suddenly stopping.  
"No, no…" said Naruto, and grabbed his hand.  
"No NO…" said Kakashi retiring his one.  
"No, no _NO…_" said Naruto grabbing it again.  
"No, no no _NO_!" said Kakashi pulling it back. And Naruto followed it.  
"Oh, noes!" said Kakashi.

_Quod sum causa tuae viae, ne me perdas illa die. Ingemisco tamquam reus..._


	7. Supposed To Mean

Confutatis

_You've seen it all, all the wonders of life – Run to your boy, don't conceal your scars_

Kakashi managed to get free ten minutes later – not that anything seriously happened.  
But he was altogether HAPPY LIKE FUCK and brain-addled, when he left.  
He actually didn't recognize Gai – neither Jiraya.  
Who saw his passing by – and hadn't the heart to threat him again.  
Kakashi went around the town whistling, hands in pockets, until he met Itachi coming back from the Anbus.  
"HEY! How are you?"  
His smile went from ear to ear. His eyes seemed sunken – in light.  
"Yeah…I see everything's going well…" laughed Itachi.  
"All right, yes!" and he stood there smiling, completely lost in his thoughts. Itachi asked him:  
"Uhu…you think that really things will change with Sasuke?  
I mean, it's all pretty fucked up.  
With the risk of getting out Orochimaru then…  
Should we really try again now?  
Then, this masked man. I have to tell you now – I knew him.  
Before. We did something – together.  
But I never knew he wanted the Kyuubi – and why did he help me? Is it normal I can't remember?  
Who the hell is him…"  
"Mmh. Now, see. I think it would be better to trigger Orochimaru to come out by himself.  
Then erase him, he will really be weak now.  
I only wonder how could we stop him forever – his mind control is never ending, huh?"  
"Don't mind…we can use this".  
Itachi unsheathed his sword, and Kakashi didn't comment.  
Itachi knew what he did, surely. And he knew what to say:  
"You're lucky, however…you know what I mean"  
Kakashi looked at him, turning suddenly serious while he reflected on it. Then he laughed again and said:  
"Itachi, Itachi!  
It's not that we're married, ye see.  
The doors are open – whatever.  
I feel so happy now that I think anything could actually happen…however, tomorrow we'll talk with the Kyuubi and see what happens."  
Itachi looked at him, puzzled:  
"You're not going to…you're not…ehr…going back there now?" he said giggling.  
"NO…I hardly managed to free me of him – he's totally getting me mad.  
Jesus.  
Teenagers.  
See, wasn't it for him I'd tell you to help me!"  
"KAKASHI! Don't joke on these things!"  
"You're touchy on this, yeah?" and Kakashi burst out laughing at him, saying this.  
"Uhu, I AM touchy…yeah, maybe…NOW, I think I will pay him a visit, yep.  
Or were you thinking to use me as a…" and he couldn't help laughing "a _buffer zone?_"  
Kakashi followed him in the LOL – but a policeman passed by in that same moment and heard "buffer zone" and asked Itachi:  
"What the hell you're talking of – with who?  
I know, Kakashi – but it's hard to trust you a moment after we had to kill you.  
Can you prove who you are?"  
Kakashi looked him and laughed again –  
"Yeah, I remember that time I was in Anbu and you were a recruit and we had to rescue you from your officer's wraith since you actually messed up the entire archive and he was completely gone mad and I also remember that time you were totally drunk at the police station and you –"  
"OK OK YOU'RE Kakashi. Right…I'm going yeah?" and so he did.  
"He did what, drunk?" said Itachi giggling again.  
"He was…belly dancing on the chief detective's desk, yelling at his picture '_take this cocksucker'_ since the officer didn't want to let him become detective under him….it was fucking incredible, I swear! Oh, you said you're going?" he paused and giggled.  
"What about that buffer zone thing?"  
"You – ANIMAL. I was just joking! Yeah, like, hell – BUFFER ZONE. Why did I say it…"  
"Yep, yep, I think you're _not_ buffering" laugh "on one side for the moment – I DON'T think you will do, oh no, no no…"  
"You're jealous?"  
"I can't! I wish I could! But I can't. You apply better for him…"  
"Don't worry…some thrill in the air is telling me that I won't stay here – alive – for long. I will let your _zone_ free…don't worry…"  
He walked to Naruto's house with a total fucking mess in his head – what the fuck was happening in Konoha?  
Did everyone get gay?  
Neji, Kakashi, Naruto, that policeman…HIMSELF…  
There must be some – _side effect_ – in calming the Kyuubi…  
However, he decided that this was NOT the right moment for him, the same.  
It was better, after all, that the Jinchuuriki slept now – and anyway, he still needed to know HIS advice on the thing.  
He would ask him.  
Neji wouldn't.

Deidara went again flying around, following Itachi's orders by heart; but he found nothing for the first days.  
Then, once he was eating quietly on a tree and exercising on some new kind of animal – because a ladybird is in some way difficult to play up with clay – when the masked man himself, his 'Tobi', took him aback.  
He sat on the same branch beside him, after having nailed his hands to the trunk.  
He smiled to him:  
"Don't worry. I only saw you looking around and I thought that things may have turned against me, with Itachi. How's going?"  
"ME and Itachi, you'd say. You can bet it.  
What do you want? I'm not telling you a fuck.  
Itachi only told me I had to look over you and what you do – but I can perfectly say I shouldn't share infos, huh?  
With you, then…you'd better tell ME – you'd wanna fight?"  
"Fight, huh…listen…this Kyuubi thing.  
Okay?  
I don't give a damn about that Sasuke.  
I'm talking of the Kyuubi – and the Jinchuuriki.  
Tell me what they've done…c'mon, we were such good friends!  
You'd hate me now only 'cus Itachi told ya to watch me?  
C'mon, tell me…"  
While he talked, the ladybird (beta version, but 'working') walked beside him and waited for the right moment to attack – he had to be distracted.  
And he totally wasn't.  
He waited, himself, for Deidara's answer.  
Who didn't talk, but moved the ladybird – too late, it was the only thing to do…luckily Tobi didn't wound his handmouths – the kunai pierced his palms higher than there.  
The ladybird moved behind Tobi, walked on his vest and exploded, but actually – through – Tobi.  
THROUGH Tobi.  
Who became a – a ghost – no more solid.  
Deidara opened his mouth and didn't find breath to talk.  
So he closed it, he gulped, cleared his throat and said –  
"Who – how the fuck?"  
"Not your business.  
Tell me about the Kyuubi" said he, looking straight into Deidara's eyes.  
Who looked him back – and saw something strange – okay, something.  
He talked.  
Moving his mouth as a robot does – as a talking puppet.  
He talked of the 'shifting forward' thing, and – okay.  
But he talked also of the 'control' thing.  
And this wasn't okay.  
Tobi went mad – he shouted against him to know more, he broke some branches, he got completely upset.  
While Deidara went on talking, Tobi went on getting angry – also with him.  
When he knew of the total redemption of the Kyuubi, he attacked him – he left him there, seriously wounded.  
Deidara's body was found by some Shinobis of a nearby village – the ones who built the Naruto Bridge.  
They brought him home and healed him – and Deidara played with Inari and the clay, and told him how to use it.  
But Inari didn't, for some reason, want to get mouths on his hands.  
Deidara was having fun – it took him some days, to regain the presence of conscience necessary to REMEMBER – '_shit – I told him.  
Itachi is so killing me_'.  
But he went to Konoha to tell him this, the same, because: '_if Itachi would do it, it means it's right. If it's right, it has to happen'._

Well, put '_yourself_' instead of Itachi: this is what people usually need a Dalai Lama to understand.  
Underrating yourself and putting someone else higher than you, in that place, is a great risk.  
Unless you know Uchiha Itachi – or someone like him.  
Actually, Gaara would apply – but no one else here would, neither Jiraya.  
And if the one you put there doesn't apply – since he isn't able to do it – he will do it wrong.  
Do _you_ wrong, since he manages badly _your_ things, actions and behavior.  
He wrongs, you pay.  
Be careful to choose your Guru well.  
There are many people in the world, but all of them must think of themselves first.  
There is no room, no space, no time for another one.  
Neither you.  
Being it primer's fixing – pure straightforward logic: who is your Guru?  
You.  
Was it that difficult?  
It's easy, so? It has never been.  
It is long and hard work. But it isn't difficult.  
It's simple, immediate, straightforward.  
It's what human beings evolved to do – since it was something to do.  
It has to be done. We are the only ones able to do it.  
This means: X must do it + we are X = we must do it.  
Procedural, organicistic, systematic mind.  
Psychologists WILL discover it, a time or another.  
They have to be taught this by someone else. Until someone else gets it, they won't know.  
Even if it is – not only simple and straightforward – _immediate_, since it's even nearer than 'right before them': it's _inside them_.  
It is sufficient to watch one's mind.  
If psychologist did what we said before – choose themselves as Gurus – they wouldn't wait for someone else.  
And they wouldn't have wasted all of this time.  
If Orochimaru did – he wouldn't have listened to the Snake's skin call.  
If Kabuto did – he wouldn't have trusted Orochimaru and follow him to find – _himself_.  
Which thing always made me laugh – where can you be, if not _in your mind_ and _in your body_?  
And how can you be unable to _find it_?  
You don't know _where_ your body is?  
Do you believe that parts of you that _you didn't_ create/invent/picture/dream/imagine do exist – somewhere else?  
_Are you retarded?  
_You are what you thought you are.  
You are what you made yourself.  
You are totally under your control.  
Not to say, then, that _you_ AREN'T the mind, but the body – that the mind actually DOESN'T exist;  
I understand this may be incredible.  
Skip it and rewind – then shift forward.  
This is the simplest way to handle obstacles.  
Or, as a wise man said – point on it and jump forward.  
If Itachi knew – if Sasuke knew – if Gaara knew before – if Naruto knew, what would he see in Sasuke?  
A leech.  
What I personally always thought Sasuke is.  
A parasite. A coward. A cunt. A deserter.  
Itachi, Orochimaru, Kabuto, et cetera, had only DESERTED themselves.  
Gaara did, and resumed himself later.  
Itachi – we'll see.  
He might resume himself, still – if and only if Naruto applied one of his miracles on him.  
Let's hope.  
The masked man went away to go to Konoha – he _had _to see.  
A whole life, a whole life.  
A whole life wasted away – blown up for nothing – if he hadn't the Kyuubi – the demons – all the demons.  
If he couldn't get the Kyuubi…all his plan to make up the original demon – the Kyuubi was the stronger one.  
Without him, nothing – a bunch of nothing.  
The masked man was puzzled, wasted, bewildered.  
He suddenly realized he wasn't able to walk, neither – the rage, the wrath, the anger he had – blocked him.  
He let out a scream and knelt down, cursing anything and anyone he ever knew.  
He then realized also this: he COULDN'T go in Konoha.  
The shield would reveal his identity to the watchmen, who could always remember that time of the Kyuubi.  
He had to wait out of the door – for his preys to come out.  
He did get in, once – but the Anbu Chief wanted him to. This time he wasn't covered by him.  
He had to wait at the door.  
HE.

In Konoha the Hokage and the Jinchuuriki were drinking sake with Jiraya, Kakashi and Itachi.  
The second day went like the first, and so the third, and so the fourth.  
The fifth day, after other trials, all failed - they were all so sad and worried that to liven them up Jiraya had suggested the Sake.  
But, totally drunk, Naruto was positing – that they went back to try it once more.  
Totally drunk, Tsunade agreed – totally drunk, Jiraya supported them.  
Kakashi wasn't drunk and said NO – remembering Orochimaru.  
Itachi wasn't drunk – he never got drunk – and did just assume that they LEFT Naruto out – and the others looked for Orochimaru to bring him out.  
Naruto said NO, but Itachi didn't listen to him.  
It was his turn to avoid listening the other's "NOs" – Naruto had practically mugged him, last time. He was really getting - physical.  
Luckily the roles were reversed, and he couldn't rape him.  
Itachi giggled – and Naruto laughed – and Kakashi too.  
The others stared them, bewildered – what the fuck?  
But they didn't have the time to ask – Naruto suddenly stopped laughing, turned serious and looked angrily somewhere.  
Still Neji.  
But he smiled, passed by them and sat down near Ino.  
Naruto went actually mad, but he didn't show it.  
'_How false! How false! And he – complained – criticized – SASUKE! HE! Luckily that time – he would…I'd have killed him…'  
_Itachi understood – Kakashi didn't.  
He smiled, actually, and looked Naruto – who had to look back and smile back.  
But he was thinking:  
'_Not easy. It's not so easy, with him. He'll never give me up. Jesus…how tiring he is.'  
_Jiraya turned the cup upside down, to say that it was time to go; and they went.  
In the hospital, while Itachi, Kakashi, Tsunade and Jiraya did something strange on Sasuke's body, Naruto was waiting in the hall.  
Then he had to pay a visit to the toilets – since, you know – he never drank sake.  
He went there, threw up, washed his mouth and looked at his face in the mirror.  
He did it more and more often, in the last days, after Neji's thing.  
This was actually the face of a doll.  
'_If I'm going to have this face when I grow up, it is better to make everyone understand that I DON'T want shit coming up.  
If I let Neji go on, the coming years it will be a brothel…moreover, it is already difficult enough with the two of them.  
Let's go down there to see…'  
_He went, and didn't hear, nor feel, nor notice – the someone who followed him – with eyes, thoughts and finally with steps.  
Yeah, you know. You quite know.  
Naruto entered the room and everyone was sitting down, looking upon something – "YEAH, NARUTO!"  
Itachi sprang up smiling –  
"We took him out of him! This is Orochimaru's thing – he's inside here. It's good for now, tomorrow we'll check it up.  
Okay, let's go to sleep now, yeah?"  
Tsunade and Jiraya wished them goodnight and went, totally drunk – maybe to pay a visit to the toilets themselves.  
Naruto said to the other two there:  
"Hello everyone…I think I will sleep here".  
Right there, Itachi saw a small explosion in the sky, in the direction of Konoha's gates.  
"Deidara! I have to go! Kakashi – come on, you won't die, man – stay with him!"  
"But NO – shit…"  
He looked at Naruto, who sat down saying:  
"I swear I will never drink again, for all my life.  
If you want to go, go, Kakashi.  
I can stay here alone – there's no one here around…and I'll kill him…nothing".  
"Yeah, but I don't think that Orochimaru will come out now alone – you and Itachi thought of the same thing, yeah?  
You're afraid of something, or of someone?  
Who is the problem, then?  
You don't want to tell me – it's Neji?"  
"He isn't a danger now.  
I used to trust him before, but now it's enough for him to come near.  
I'd break him down to piec- Oh, don't mind.  
Don't mind.  
Never mind, Kakashi, it's alright now".  
"Ok. But do you want me to stay or to go away?"  
Naruto looked at him, his eyes were void, he held his breath.  
He was thinking of '_SASUKE. SASUKE. SASUKE.'  
_"No…I want to stay here alone…with him".  
"Ookay…you're sure? Okay, I go home, so.  
Tomorrow morning I will come here. Good night…"  
He patted his head, kissed his forehead and went away – or well he tried, but Naruto stopped him and kissed him properly.  
Then he left him free.  
Kakashi went, giggling like an idiot.  
He was surprised of seeing Itachi out of the hospital – waiting for him.  
"Yep, I knew you'd left.  
I'm here to say you this – the masked man has extorted from Deidara some information.  
The strange thing is that he was actually puzzled – Deidara said he actually went mad.  
Listen, I thought of something.  
Bring the Jinchuuriki out there – you, me and him, and Sasuke.  
Bring him in Orochimaru's hideout, there – there must be something we can use.  
But we have to be really careful about that man – and I just thought that he could even sneak here inside – he actually did once.  
Naruto is alone up there?"  
"Yeah, he is.  
Who you're looking over, Itachi?  
Who's the danger for him?  
The masked man?"  
Itachi looked at him, silent, and ended up telling him:  
"No…Neji Hyuuga."  
"I knew…shit!"

_Confutatis maledictis – Oro supplex et acclini, cor contritum quasi cinis_


	8. Got Lost In The Fire

Lacrimosa 

_Let him feel your love, before it's too late..._

"Shit...I'm going to the toilet again" said Jiraya, leaving Tsunade alone in the hall.  
"Yep…come back later. I want to talk…"  
She sat down on some bench and looked up out the window – to the sky.  
'_Huh?'_  
Wasn't she that drunk, she would have bet to have seen _something_ flying – a big something passing right over her.  
A big white and black something.  
She thought that, by the way it moved, it should have been – a wolf.  
But bigger, yeah, a wolf dog.  
"That dog of that guy…no, it's all white.  
Akamaru, Akamaru. But it's all white.  
Oh, c'mon, Tsunade, you're drunk…'twasn't nothing".  
Neji Hyuuga had controlled the two of them, to make sure that they couldn't interfere.  
They were going up to the roof, to look the sky.  
He followed Jiraya to the toilets, then went downstairs.  
Sasuke's room was on second floor.  
Neji walked silently – however the whole place was desert.  
He saw Itachi and Kakashi go away – he only didn't see that Itachi was down there, at the hospital gate.  
Nor did he see him talking with Kakashi – nor knew that they were talking of HIM.  
Neji Hyuuga, the wolf dog, hunted his fox.  
This had really gone too far.  
He understood that Kakashi had already made his first moves – with Naruto.  
Physically, we mean.  
He couldn't accept it either – but Itachi had really been the last straw.  
And, the fuck! – they were seriously giving in, those two – Itachi and Naruto.  
Now he had to make his moves.  
First of all make the psychological move.  
Gnaw your way to the fox's lair.  
It's easy – tell Naruto that those two, Kakashi and Itachi, took him "for a working whore".  
To say: say that Kakashi was "letting Itachi do whatever he wanted", that Itachi himself wasn't "even jealous of the other".  
Say that "neither of the two" gave "a fuck about" Naruto.  
Say that they hadn't "_feelings _involved in this thing".  
Say that "they only saw" Naruto's "doll face and wanted to – get physical".  
Say that Naruto was "too young and good-hearted, quite naïve, to understand this" – "_they"_ were "looking on him as their prey".  
"They, not ME". Haha.  
Say that those two weren't "good – worth" him.  
"I am. I totally fucking love you. C'mon.  
First of all I had to tell you this".  
'_It's true, totally true. And I ask myself right now, when did it begin?  
Since apparently, I always – did'.  
_He went on:_  
_"I'm asking you.  
Not THAT.  
I'm asking you – seriously.  
Seriously.  
Your time.  
Give me your time. I…"

"No.  
Don't go on.  
First of all this wasn't a question.  
This is an order.  
And you begin in the wrong way.  
No orders, to me.  
Then.  
You don't apparently know a thing of – well, how did you know of Itachi then?  
And I have to explain you – I WANT that.  
I don't want to marry anyone now.  
Okay?  
I'm 16. No, I'm 22.  
No, okay, I must be both, I guess.  
I'm young and I just wanna have _fun_. Okay?  
Now I just wish you to kick this thing out of your head – and come back to me like you did before.  
_Don't look me in that way_.  
I won't let you do whatever the fuck you want, Neji.  
Don't look me in that way and DON'T – come – nearer.  
All right?"  
Neji didn't answer.  
'_Guess it's the only way' _he thought.  
'_When it will be done – done for done – he'll melt down with me.  
C'mon, I must only take him aback. Let's play…'  
_"I understand.  
I wish I will be able to.  
Now, I go.  
Good night…"  
Too quick, too swift, this change of mind.  
Naruto didn't consider this strangeness.  
That Naruto was naïve, we know – but here there was something else Neji mentioned before: he was good-hearted.  
He still hoped for Neji's redemption – he hoped for anyone's redemption.  
He answered "Good night" and watched Neji go away.  
He believed him, his play, yeah, he _believed_ he could trust him.  
The fox gave bona-fide to the wolf dog.  
Fuck it and take this, Twilight.  
The fox wronged.  
The wolf dog went out of the room, and waited – ten seconds.  
Then walked back, in total silence – and in total silence he opened the door.  
In total silence he stepped in – Naruto was before him, sighing at Sasuke's death and looking at him, sad.  
His shoulders lowered, his hands kept together, his head lowered too, sitting on the chair – it was easy.  
It was SO EASY.  
Take him aback.  
Too quick, too fast.  
Blocked between him and the wall, Naruto couldn't even move.  
He snarled – Neji growled in reply.  
He bit him - his face, his mouth - his throat.  
Wolf dog.  
It took five minutes to Neji to get him.  
Naruto didn't cry.  
Didn't complain.  
Didn't groan.  
He was only angry.  
The thing done, done for done, Neji thought – he would have changed his mind.  
He would have at least considered – he would have thought of the chance, because there would already be a reason, then, to do it.  
Neji thought of having only knocked at the door.  
And that now the door would open.  
Not exactly what Naruto did.  
He spat on his face and began to beat him – enraged.  
"Kind of – bastard – kind of – I'm – HUH?"  
He opened the eyes, wide, he pushed Neji out of his sight and made a totally displeased face.  
The thing on the ground was kind of – _moving_ – and making a noise, a loud noise – it was _laughing_?  
"Ku ku ku ku."  
SHIIT…  
Orochimaru was coming out – WHY NOW?  
Neji grabbed his forehead and moaned.  
Naruto looked at him, looked at Orochimaru – and then made a strange thing.  
He grabbed Neji's arm and – _threw_ – him (yeah, it wasn't only Naruto anymore: this was the Kyuubi) _over_ Orochimaru.  
When Orochimaru sprang up from his relic, Naruto _became_ the Kyuubi – his tails entwined and tight – his eyes, two yellow sparkles.  
Orochimaru laughed, and this made Naruto completely fucking angry – with him and against Neji.  
He gathered chakra, in a big red ball, holding it like a child with a balloon – Orochimaru screamed, in total panic – he understood WHAT that was.  
In the black ball you could see flashing electric scents – this was the mixture, you could say, of the Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto's chakra and the Chidori technique.  
But Naruto used it as it was a Rasengan.  
You can picture what happened to Orochimaru – AND Neji.

"Neji Hyuuga, yes…" said Itachi.  
Kakashi asked him: "What happened? What has he done?"  
"He mugged him…certainly.  
WHAT exactly happened, I don't know.  
But Naruto says it's alright…Hyuuga is a cold blood.  
When they get violent, they become animals.  
We must keep the Hyuuga boy under strict watch".  
"Yes…you said you'll stay here, okay? I go home…"  
He went.  
Itachi sat down on ground and waited – constantly eyeing both the hospital and the street before it.  
Nothing happened, the night was still and silent – for half an hour.  
Then a total kerfuffle –  
Kyuubi's roar, a blast of light from Sasuke's room, Orochimaru's laugh and then his terrified scream –  
A boom, another voice screaming (not Naruto) –  
And silence.  
Itachi was already there – he began to run when he heard the roar.  
The door had been blasted up.  
He went in – and found a brothel in the room.  
Orochimaru's relic was destroyed, torn asunder.  
Sasuke's body was sane and untouched – only, it had been moved by the explosion, falling down the bed.  
SOMEONE was lying on the floor, evidently dead.  
Someone had black long straight hair – eyes closed.  
Naruto was standing near the ex-door and watched this someone.  
He turned to Itachi and said:  
"Oh.  
It was Orochimaru.  
I don't know if and when he got at him.  
But it was Orochimaru.  
It _was_ strange.  
Neji doesn't…didn't.  
But fuck it.  
Itachi, fuck it.  
Luckily Orochimaru went out.  
I got it.  
I killed them both…I killed Neji…"  
Itachi looked at him, silent.  
Then he walked to him – and Naruto stepped back.  
"Hey. Hey. It's me."  
He paused.  
"He did?"  
Naruto didn't answer, but turned to look out of the window. Then he said:  
"You said go to Orochimaru's hideout, yeah?  
Go.  
We go…tomorrow.  
Jesus…"  
He passed a hand on his face, held his mouth, then punched the wall with the left hand.  
"Couldn't I stop him before…dead for dead…at least…  
I wouldn't…  
JESUS!"  
He punched the wall again and turned to Itachi, crying.  
"Could I believe that HE – he.  
No. I couldn't.  
I never thought – he actually – WOULD – dear God.  
Dear God.  
Itachi…"  
He put both hands on his face and, sobbing, prayed him:  
"Bring – me – away – from – here"  
Itachi ran to him, embraced him and closed his head in his chest – as Kakashi and the others came there.  
Jiraya and Tsunade were gone on the roof, like Ninjas always did, to talk about something – both drunk, yes, and paying frequent visits to the toilets.  
When they heard the mess they came down – 6 floors running, even in Jiraya's stomach there was a brothel.  
Naruto looked at Kakashi and then stared straight Itachi's eyes.  
Itachi nodded.  
'_Hush. Shut it up. Don't say. Don't tell – Kakashi'.  
_"What the Jesus Christ happened here?  
Orochimaru – NEJI?"  
"He was here – and got caught by some blow.  
Orochimaru attacked ME – but I let out the Kyuubi and he tried to – take Neji as a hostage.  
I'm sorry I couldn't manage to – free him.  
Orochimaru killed him, because Neji tried to defense himself.  
So he killed Neji – and I destroyed him"  
Kakashi looked at him and didn't comment.  
"So, Orochimaru is gone. Fine.  
For the moment…You can still use that sword, yeah?"  
"Of course.  
I should have been here.  
Jesus." answered Itachi, wiping tears in Naruto's hair.  
It wasn't so easy to let people see you cried, when you were a stone cold piece of shit of a Nukenin until the day before, for all of them.  
Pity from haters – an unconceivable thing.  
Itachi caught his breath, then said:  
"Tomorrow we leave for Orochimaru's hall."

_Resurget ex favilla judicandus homo reus. Dona eis requiem…_


	9. My Fatal Desire

OFFERTORIUM:  
Domine Jesu

_Your sight is dying but you keep on trying to save your boy_

The day after Kakashi, Naruto, Itachi and Sasuke's body left Konoha to go there, at Orochimaru's last hideout – where he had been killed.  
Itachi carried Sasuke's body, like Kankuro carried his puppet and Gaara carried his jar. On the back.  
Naruto told him that this was quite creepy – it seemed that his body was the jar, for him.  
Itachi answered:  
"You're missing Gaara. Pop psychology" and laughed.  
Kakashi laughed too, in saying:  
"Yeah, maybe. You're thinking of a foursome?"  
"KAKASHI! Not Gaara! I can't stand it!" burst out Naruto.  
"Okay, okay, alright…a time or another we should talk seriously of this thing…we can't go on this way…" answered Kakashi.  
Itachi said:  
"Yeah, it's going to be really awkward if it goes on like this.  
I mean, we have to face the fact that this is impossible…or well, it shouldn't be right to _begin_ in this way".  
Naruto looked annoyed.  
"Bah, for me…it's alright…I won't lose a thing, like this. No? I would have the two of you – and I don't see the problem!"  
Kakashi looked at him serious, then smiled - devilish and unwillingly - saying:  
"It's not that if _you_ _don't understand_ it, it doesn't exist…" and then laughed out loud.  
"I'm NOT that stupid, you scoundrel…I still have Itachi if I leave you, you know?"  
"HUH – that's why!  
Like the old saying goes: 'If you have one man in your life girls, make sure you have another – so if one leaves, you still have one left'.  
How opportunist of you…"  
Naruto laughed, wholeheartedly.  
They arrived there, put down Sasuke's body and began to search the whole place.  
They didn't find anything for two or three hours, then somebody thought of looking in Orochimaru's room.  
There they found some notes – but something far more interesting: a collection of cells.  
Human cells – different samples, from different humans.  
Kakashi thought they could be useful – Itachi tried to understand something from the notes, but he couldn't.  
Had he got the Mangenkyou now, he would have easily read them; but he was kind of – blind.  
Almost completely blind, now.  
Kakashi used his sharingan, and he could understand some things.  
Apparently, they had to plug in those cells in a certain point of that big machine – the one to which Orochimaru tied Sasuke's body, when he killed him – and plug also some cables in Sasuke.  
The machine would swallow the cells and apply their properties to the body.  
This meant that, having the chakra of the Kyuubi – immense and powerful – they could - resurrect him.  
These cells, stem cells, plugged in Sasuke's body, would be linked to the machine, which would activate them – enliven them.  
This meant that bringing this spark of energy to the nearby cells, Sasuke's proper ones, they would enliven him too.  
And so, resurrect him.  
The Kyuubi could drive that energy and eke it.  
It was done, they thought.  
The thing was done – they COULD do it.  
Naruto screamed "YAAY!" and kissed Itachi, then left him and kissed Kakashi, and the two of them were – puzzled.  
Okay everything…but this _was_ awkward.  
Naruto laughed, they went down to Sasuke's body – and Naruto couldn't even step in the room – _something_ threw him back, he fell supine on the ground.  
He sprang up back, but stopped when he saw – _how strange_ – Kakashi tried to catch a guy, a guy with a mask – and Kakashi _couldn't_ – because his hand passed _through_ this guy's arms – _through_ this guy's body.  
Naruto understood, Kakashi understood and he stepped back – bringing Naruto back with him.  
They were escaping – kind of – therefore Naruto stopped Kakashi, saying:  
"SASUKE!"  
The masked guy laughed.  
Itachi said to him:  
"You…you.  
What do you want from the Kyuubi?  
What for?"  
"The Kyuubi.  
I MUST have him.  
MUST...no, don't go – _don't bring HIM AWAY!"  
_He roared, seeing Naruto trying to step back further – he wanted to dodge the obstacle, and he wanted to get safe from him.  
"GIVE IT TO ME!  
The Kyuubi – it's all gone –"  
He reached Naruto and put his hands on the seal – but this was NOT a good memory for Naruto – a man's hands on him - he reacted in self-defense, and the Kyuubi followed.  
You could SEE the Kyuubi spring _out of_ Naruto's body, showing his head and biting the masked man's face – or well, mask.  
It fell down, but Naruto didn't give a fuck about his face – the Kyuubi got angry, but angry and hateful.  
Hateful. Like before.

Naruto faced an incredible difficulty in keeping him down – in keeping the Kyuubi CALM.  
He was going out of his control.  
"KURAMA! PLEASE! KURAMA! Listen to ME!"  
But the Kyuubi was listening – he had only decided that THIS MAN shouldn't harm HIS Jinchuuriki in any way.  
And he was totally fucking angry for another reason, too: he KNEW this man.  
He remembered him.  
He told Naruto, he told him in his mind:  
"TO TAKE ME.  
This man killed your parents to TAKE ME.  
It's all his fault, Jinchuuriki.  
ALL HIS FAULT".  
Naruto lost completely control.  
Of the Kyuubi, and of himself.  
He attacked the masked guy – without mask, now – who stepped back and was, incredibly, quick enough to escape the Kyuubi/Naruto - who blew two chakra/Chidori/Rasengan balloons on him.  
Then the Kyuubi/Naruto ran to him, this man disappeared and reappeared holding the Jinchuuriki's arms – and this wasn't a good idea.  
The Jinchuuriki was afraid - his demon got angry the more.  
But this man didn't let go.  
The Kyuubi's chakra was flaming on Naruto, and began to burn down the man's arms.  
But he didn't let go.  
He entered Naruto's mind to talk with the Kyuubi.  
He said:  
"You, Kurama, you know perfectly – we don't believe to these bullshits, right?  
What – about – this _goodness_?  
You're GOOD?  
You're a GOOD DEMON?  
Kurama, please...come out.  
We're gonna make a mess around.  
Come out, Kurama.  
There are already the other demons – with me – come on, come out, with ME...with them".  
The Kyuubi's muzzle looked like it was made of stone.  
He said:  
"Let me talk with them.  
And you don't listen".  
The man didn't want, of course – but he was trapped in the corner, he had no chance, no choice.  
He let him talk with the demons.  
Kurama covertly brought Naruto's conscience with him, therein – so Naruto heard the conversation of the demons.  
The demons were taught by Kurama: this WAS possible.  
They could forget hate, get to normal life, they COULD.  
The demons agreed – if WE go against this man, this man is fucked.  
If WE don't let him use us, if WE don't kill, if WE don't hate, and it IS possible – WE fuck him up.  
"All right?"  
"All right, chief commander!" said another demon – yeah, wait – "SHUKAKU!"  
Naruto smiled (in reality, we mean physically) and the man – thought.  
Thought of it – was he listening? Was he – knowing?  
He couldn't keep himself from -  
"WHAT DID THEY SAY?" he screamed, grabbing Naruto's collar.  
"Wait, wait, wait…nope! Don't ask – GET YOUR HANDS OFF"  
He got angry again, it was a perfectly normal reaction; the man didn't understand it, however.  
But Naruto got angry the same, and the Kyuubi followed again.  
He began to gather chakra - and the man thought of stopping him.  
The man began to do something – his eyes began to sparkle – SPARKLE?  
Then something suddenly pushed him away from Naruto – but it didn't injure him, since he became untouchable again.  
That something was a bomb.  
Deidara arrived ON him – still flying on his bird.  
You know, the last time the Akatsuki had been there, they didn't properly leave the roof at its place.

Naruto and Deidara found themselves fighting side by side – and Naruto said:  
"GO ON! BOMB!"  
Then he created a Kagebunshin, and awakened the Kyuubi on him too.  
There were, thus, two little Kyuubi/Naruto flaming with chakra and totally fucking angry.  
But the strategy was even simpler than the man could think.  
The man could take the Kyuubi out of both bodies (the original one and the Kagebunshin).  
So, the trigger, we know, had always been this.  
To grab the Kyuubi, or at least the Jinchuuriki, he had to become solid.  
It was, literally, a hail of chakra balloons and bombs –  
With the man becoming intermittently, rhythmically, solid and non-solid as Naruto/Kyuubi triggered him to do.  
They surely hurt him in some way – but he had to blow back, so he had to gain a safe place where he could charge his attacks.  
He went right behind the machine – the one they needed for Sasuke.  
Naruto/Kyuubi held his breath.  
Deidara stopped at a gesture of Itachi.  
The man understood – he saw Sasuke's body down there, near him.  
And he laughed.  
They were all frozen, looking at him, and he looking at "KURAMA".  
'_You now have to choose'_ he said to the Kyuubi, in Naruto's mind.  
"LEAVE HIM…" answered Naruto, growling. "STEP THE FUCK BACK…"  
He, Naruto, stepped forward.  
The Kagebunshin did the same, trying to go behind the man – to attack him, to block him, or simply to make him escape.  
"Leave him out of this thing…" said Itachi.  
The man lifted his hands – holding something.  
"LEAVE HIM OUT, I SAID!"  
Itachi ran to him, and Naruto ran to Itachi.  
He (Naruto) grabbed his (Itachi) arms and stopped him (Itachi), then put his (Naruto) hands on his (Itachi) head and told him (Itachi):  
"Right.  
Go.  
You have my energy"  
Itachi flooded the man with Amaterasu.  
A shroud of Amaterasu – he thought.  
This _should_ have killed him.  
It didn't.  
The man escaped, but in going away – he turned back to Sasuke's machine – threw something on it.  
And blew it up.  
Boom.  
Then he disappeared.  
Naruto looked the machine, then turned and began to run – he had to GO OUT – the KYUUBI – I AND THE KYUUBI –  
The people inside Orochimaru's hideout heard a blast and a roar – it sounded more like howling.  
Eerie howling.  
Then Naruto came back – it was simply the rage.  
He had to vent it out.  
He looked at Itachi. And realized that Itachi didn't see him. Not that he was blind, not only that.  
His eyes – had – melted.  
In some blood streaks. But he smiled.  
"All right, my. Don't mind"  
He cleaned the blood on his cheeks, Kaied his eyes – or well, the wounds replacing them now.  
Then he stretched out his arms and Naruto ran therein – crying.  
It was all gone.  
Gone.

_Libera eas – Sanctus Michael _


	10. I Failed You Again

Hostias

_You keep on lying but your false illusions have been destroyed_

They left the place.  
Kakashi carrying Sasuke, Naruto before him, driving Itachi.  
Who leaned on his shoulder, trying to cry.  
But it was impossible.  
His eyes were gone – he didn't have neither the lachrymal glands.  
They were completely melted away – solved in the Amaterasu's energy itself.  
Giving away energy to fuel the Amaterasu, Itachi had used also the Kyuubi's chakra – and it actually had melted the tissues down.  
He didn't see, but he felt – and he could move, walk and understand what happened around him as well.  
He then talked; something like:  
"Don't worry, Jin- Naruto.  
We still have to know more, maybe there IS a way, we have only to…discover it…however, Kakashi, I noticed there's no decomposition on Sasuke.  
This means that Orochimaru has done something on him, yeah?  
He froze him.  
Still something good".  
"When we come back…" answered Kakashi "We'll look for Hinata".  
Naruto turned back to look him and answered:  
"Hinata? Why?"  
"We need the Byakugan.  
We have to know if HIS MIND is gone – and if it isn't WHERE it is.  
This is important.  
We can't give him up if his mind's 'alive', even if…if we don't…discover anything".  
That THERE WASN'T a way, they couldn't even picture it.  
Naruto held Itachi's arm tight and kissed his forehead, silently.  
Itachi grabbed his head and said:  
"Losing you. You too. I will. It will be so difficult..."  
Then he looked up, on Deidara who flew over them in vanguard, and shouted to him:  
"Come down and give us a lift!  
You egoist…"  
Deidara laughed and did.  
In fact, he took aboard Itachi and Sasuke – the other two could normally walk.  
So, Kakashi and Naruto found themselves together and alone.  
Walking, and being careful of NOT looking at him, Kakashi said:  
"Listen, Naruto. We have to stop this.  
It may be impossible that Itachi comes back in Konoha – normally, I mean.  
But however – I mean, the two of us – we don't…c'mon, we can't!  
Don't you think-"  
Naruto stopped, blocked him, pulled his mask down and kissed him – forcedly for the first seconds – then Kakashi melted.  
Deidara saw them and asked Itachi:  
"But I didn't think the Jinchuuriki was gay. And I thought before – you're telling me – you TOO?"  
And he began to laugh.  
"YOU?"  
And he laughed louder.  
"YOU? Itachi Uchiha – GAY?"  
And he burst out, eventually, laughing out loud like an idiot and nearly falling down.  
"Idiot! Watch out!" Itachi said, dodging the question and laughing.  
"Yes, yes…but it's fucking totally impossible! You… Jesus! Wait – HE is the PASSIVE, right?"  
"Of course…you know me, fuck it!"  
"Huh…and…that man with the mask?"  
"Who? Tobi?" said Itachi, blushing.  
"…Itachi…when you became gay, you became stupid?"  
Itachi: "…"  
Deidara: "...?"  
Itachi looked at him and then looked astray.  
Deidara: "...?"  
Itachi: "..."  
Then looked at him again and looked astray again.  
Deidara: "...?"  
Itachi: "…"  
He did it, again.  
Itachi: "Okay, I never thought of this, alright?"  
Deidara laughed like an idiot, again.  
"Yeah…right…maybe…C'mon, let me know if you think, yes?"  
"DEIDARA! I'll kill you!"  
"It would be worth its price, huh?"  
"Deidara...you...idiot...Huhuhuhu..."  
Deidara didn't answer.  
He looked down, everywhere – espying Tobi.  
Itachi understood – he said:  
"He will attack before we get to Konoha.  
That's why I want you to fly faster, now – first we bring in Sasuke, then we'll come out again to help Naruto.  
I think there will be a lot of fun, later."  
"I should go away then, to find some clay…you'll need me!"  
"I don't think so, we have the Kyuubi…he will kill Tobi.  
Or who the fuck he is."  
"…Right. Power!"  
"AAARGH! Not THAT FAST! I'm falling! You bastard! Huhuhu!"

Itachi foresaw it correctly – Tobi left them scarcely the time to put down Sasuke and get back.  
Thought there had been a problem, since – when they flew in, of course Deidara was aboard.  
So the guards, who recognized him, took him away – Deidara was screaming, angrily, but Itachi told him to shut up and follow them.  
He would "come back later" – they were "going to kill the worst danger the Ninja world ever knew".  
"The Akatsuki" was "killing his leader".  
The guards were surprised, but didn't let Deidara go.  
So itachi had to leave him there and go alone.  
He did.  
Right in time – he arrived when Tobi appeared.  
The Kyuubi _laughed_ – Naruto heard it, Itachi heard it and then realized that _everyone_ heard it, since – the Kyuubi came out, as the last time.  
He stood up on Naruto, like the Susanoo on Itachi, yet he was rooted on his heart.  
You could see his head, paws and shoulders – so it appeared that his heart was – in Naruto's head.  
The Kyuubi roared laughing at Tobi.  
He looked unsettled and shuttered, his clothes were torn, his hair totally filthy, his face and hands were covered with scratches – he had punched something, yes, and FORGIVING of getting unphysical when he did it.  
He was completely gone out of his head.  
He lost the chance to get his goal – he totally _knew_ that it was fucked up, with the Kyuubi.  
He couldn't neither accept nor comprehend it, now.  
He had elaborated his urge for decades, growing it up, cherishing it to become a goal.  
This goal was everything.  
And now everything had faded.  
He felt to be – alone, in the middle of a grey and turbid _nothing.  
_He looked at the Kyuubi – that sparkling immense mighty FIRE before him.  
The goal of an entire life.  
Everything.  
Everything – changed.  
This was the end of everything.  
He decided he had to _destroy_ the Kyuubi.  
He didn't know how to do it, he didn't have the least idea of it, but he would go.  
Go and try to get _him_.  
Kurama, the fox – the most powerful, the hotter, the mightier, the most beautiful.  
The fox – so beautiful, so precious.  
That red hair.  
His fox…it was all gone.  
He ran to the Kyuubi – then stopped, a foot in the air, and screamed.  
Somewhere, the other demons – somewhere in his mind – were attacking him.  
They cried at him, they hunted his mind – they were trying to apply their chakra to the doors which linked that place with his brain, to pierce it, to blow it up.  
The man ran, then, ran again – towards the Kyuubi.  
To ask for his help.  
Then he arrived at Konoha and MET _him_.  
He screamed – we can compare this scream to John's ones, in the desert.  
He screamed to the void, a name, and repeated it.  
While the demons attacked his mind again and FOUND the doors.  
While the demons nailed his brain, piercing it physically.  
Being it pure straightforward logic, wasn't this predictable?  
He fell in love with demons, he wanted to have them near him, to live with them.  
'It's a love that will waste you away, when it pierces the heart it will smart until the cracks of Doomsday'.  
He went on shouting:  
"KURAMAAAA!" in a loop.  
And Kurama answered.  
Kurama came there to him.  
And flooded him – he burnt him down.  
With chakra.  
It looked like a stake, you could think of the Inquisition.  
Confound the cursed ones…  
The Kyuubi poured his shitload of chakra on him.  
The man evaporated, yes – the demon had to calm down the other ones, and to make Naruto tell Kakashi –  
"FIND A PLACE TO PUT THEM IN!"

They did it.  
Itachi howled for joy and grabbed Naruto – "AAAARGH!" and stepped back from him, since – Naruto was still covered with the Kyuubi's chakra.  
It burned Itachi's hand and clothes – and Naruto burst out laughing.  
Itachi looked at him angrily – and, unwillingly, he smiled.  
Then he couldn't help – laughing him too.  
The others, even Kakashi, looked at the two of them, puzzled.  
"Now, you really have gone too far…" said Kakashi seriously.  
Then laughed out loud, like an idiot, screaming:  
"WE DID IT!  
HE DIED!  
WE DID IT!  
NARUTO JESUS CHRIST I TOTALLY FUCKING LOVE YOU!"  
"SHUT UP YOU SCOUNDREL!" cried Naruto in panic.  
Itachi was dying of laughter, he couldn't even breathe.  
He knelt down and went on choking, coughing and laughing.  
Naruto danced alone, still with flames around on his clothes, until the last drop of chakra fell down.  
In the same moment Kakashi embraced him and began to – THROW HIM UP IN THE AIR.  
As he was a baby.  
"You've gone mad! Maaad. Let me down! Kakashi! Oh, Jesus!"  
Itachi catched his breath back and panted:  
"Did it…we did it. Wait.  
The chakra. Where has –"  
He took breath, deepily, and swallowed another laughter.  
He told Naruto:  
"Naruto…do a Rasengan".  
Kakashi let Naruto down on the ground and looked at Itachi, baffled.  
'_WHAT?'  
_Naruto nodded and – tried to.  
No way.  
"FUCK! The chakra – did I end the chakr- KYUUBI'S chakra? No way!"  
Itachi answered him, standing up:  
"No…it's only gone for the moment.  
It will take you two or three days to get it back – I read it somewhere.  
Wait…I remember.  
I REMEMBERED, Kakashi!  
I remembered!"  
"Huh?" answered Kakashi. "You remembered what?"  
"The masked man…  
I have to tell – NO.  
No.  
It won't go…"  
He shut up.  
Kakashi looked at him.  
Itachi said:  
"So close…No matter."

_De morte transire ad vitam - Hostias_


	11. Cause I Let You Stay

Sanctus:

_You just did what you had to do_

They ran into the village, since they had to solve immediately the problem of the demons.  
The Kyuubi was keeping them quiet and still, saying them that there would soon be a place to fit them in.  
The place as kind of found: the Sand village posited the construction of a Hall of Demons in their country.  
The Leaf Village agreed, and Kurama told the demons to be prepared to it – it wouldn't be easy to be brought out of their place, inside there, without Jinchuurikis.  
They had to be good, since – no one would control them.  
Meanwhile, Itachi had to make up for Sasuke's funeral.  
It was all completely gone, it was impossible now.  
The last chance had been used – and moreover, the something Orochimaru did on his body was fading: the decomposition began.  
They had to bury him, and stop.  
Someone suggested cremation – but Itachi burst out saying that "almost his body must be here-" he thought '_with me'_, he said "At home".  
He managed to make it ready that same day.  
In the evening, under a full moon waxing lyrically over the poetry of Requiem (he called upon the orphanage's nuns to help him), a procession flowed through Konoha.  
From the Hokage's palace, counting some fifteen people – Naruto, Kakashi, Itachi, Tsunade, Jiraya, Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Hinata,  
Tenten, Lee, Guy, Yamato and Sai – the procession went on growing in number.  
When it reached the graveyard, almost the entire village was following the coffin – someone singing "Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis" and, passing under the graveyard's gates, "Kyrie Eleison".  
Itachi was silent.  
He didn't say a word for the whole ceremony; nor did Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi.  
All the others were talking in low voice, instead; they were all wondering about a number of things.  
"Who was the masked man?"  
"What will happen to Itachi now?"  
"What about – poor Naruto".  
'_What really happened with Neji?'  
_This was a question that no one dared to state – Shikamaru _had_ understood that something had gone wrong.  
Neji's funeral had been held some days before – and he noticed that Kakashi, Itachi and Naruto weren't there.  
Their justification, of course, was that they weren't in Konoha – but none of them asked about it, showed any interest in it, and – none of them went to visit Neji's tomb.  
What had happened – Neji was different in the last weeks.  
Yes, but – to reach this point.  
And thinking of it, Naruto was there when Neji died – actually he threw out a bomb of chakra _and_ Neji died.  
Orochimaru had really killed him?  
Or Naruto did?  
We all know that Shikamaru wasn't stupid at all.  
He understood that something went wrong – but he couldn't absolutely picture _what_.  
Naruto wasn't so talkative, either – in fact he _was_ talking with the Kyuubi.  
He was telling him to prepare to speak to the demons – Tsunade wanted to thank them, and the Kyuubi had to translate.  
After the prayers and the burial, the Hokage began her speech.  
She said:  
"We must thank Uchiha Itachi and his peer" (Deidara, who was still in prison) "for having killed Orochimaru.  
An endless nightmare has expired with his death.  
We must thank Uchiha Itachi and our Jinchuuriki" she smiled "for having killed an unknown man who threatened our country and  
everyone's life.  
A man who already, sixteen years ago, provoked many deaths in Konoha – liberating the Kyuubi".  
She paused.  
"And we must thank the Kyuubi.  
He has killed this man – the Demon, the Nine-Tails Fox, Kurama the Kyuubi.  
He has freed us from a certain menace – and he has freed us from _his_ own menace.  
Kurama has brought the demons to goodness.  
We mustn't fear them anymore.  
The demons helped him solving this matter.  
We must thank all the demons for having granted us peace, for having chosen to help us and be our fellows.  
We must thank the demons, for having had the courage to think and understand – a courage that many humans, we know, still miss.  
We must thank the demons".  
Kurama translated to his 'brothers' and gave the Hokage their answer, in Naruto's voice.  
"We eventually did what we had to do.  
We eventually had the chance to stop and leave hating – and killing.  
We are eventually treated like thinking beings – not things.  
You respected us – you humans told us what we are.  
You revealed us ourselves.  
We must thank you, humans – and propose, eventually, not collaboration – but an alliance.  
In your hands we can be safe, you won't use us like weapons".  
End of discussion. Kurama was a demon of few words.  
The Hokage stated her agreeing and declared the end of the ceremony.

They all went home – Itachi went to visit Deidara.  
He was kept in prison, waiting for trial – the Sand Country still had to be told of his presence there.  
When he saw Itachi he laughed and said:  
"Well, well, what's going on there?  
I saw the procession – so it's really gone? Your brother I mean.  
Yes, yes. And – Tobi?"  
"We killed him.  
Now the demons have all joined the Kyuubi. The Akatsuki is officially dead.  
How are you?"  
"Oh, alright.  
I still have some clay, you know – but I thought it was better if I stayed quiet. Thus I wouldn't create you problems.  
Okay, and? Now, what do we do?  
They want to send me to the Sand Country…you have-"  
"I still have an ace up my sleeve. I'll help you, don't worry.  
But you'll have to follow me when we go out.  
I'll tell them that I'll watch over you, that you won't be a danger for them anymore. Can I leave you here for now?  
Is it all right?"  
"Yes, yes, it is.  
I'm never alone. I found a guy here who draws things – and now we still have to finish a discussion about my art and his – things".  
Itachi smiled.  
"Yeah. I go to talk with the Anbus and the Hokage. Then I'll give farewell to – someone.  
When I know anything new I come back. Deidara…"  
"Huh?"  
"DON'T USE clay to show that guy your art, please…you can make a theoretical discussion. Okay?"  
He laughed.  
He went to the Hokage's palace.  
Tsunade was there, sitting at her desk doing nothing – and reflecting.  
"Oh, hello.  
I thought you would come here. You're asking me what you have to do now?"  
"Yes, Hokage.  
I want to continue serving in Anbus. I can be an external informer.  
I think there are things on the Akatsuki that we must find out about – I mean, I think that masked man wasn't the chief.  
There must be someone else.  
I ask you to let Deidara come with me. I assure you that I'll watch over him.  
He will be my fellow, and I'll be his commander.  
I … should … I'd like to leave the soonest possible. …" he lowered his eyes "… Everything hurts me here, now".  
"Mh mh. Okay.  
You want me to ask the Anbus or you want to do it yourself?  
I mean, Danzou's 'whatever-it-is' faction or _normal_ Anbus?"  
Itachi smiled.  
"Danzou will never let the other ones get me. I'm his weapon. I will ask him".  
"Okay, okay for Deidara, okay for the Anbus.  
I'm only asking you – try not to get killed, alright? And – show up here, sometimes.  
Just to know how do you do. Okay?"  
"Yes. I go. Thank you, Yondaime Hokage."  
He went to the Ne, and Danzou wanted to talk with him personally.  
Itachi told him what he knew, and what he thought.  
Danzou replied giving him this orders:  
"Go to the XX country.  
Find the true holders of the Akatsuki. Tell me everything, but tell it only to ME.  
You know how to do what. You say this masked man was the one who helped you that time, yes.  
Do you remember anything else?"  
"No, I don't".  
"And, _this time_, Uchiha Itachi, follow thoroughly my orders and _don't_ add nothing of yours.  
I don't want you to end up screwing up everything like you did last time.  
What about the one coming with you?"  
"Deidara.  
He follows me and my orders. He's under my control".  
"Go".  
And Itachi went.  
I'd rather be trained by Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket than serve in Anbus constabulary.  
Moreover, their uniform is SO GAY.  
However Itachi _didn't_ want to do what he said.  
Itachi wanted to do what he thought to be right, this time – from this moment on.  
He decided to keep the Hokage informed, and to rely on Deidara for more than simple orders.  
He could be clever and able enough to walk by himself and help him.  
He had to go the prison to take him.  
But he decided to delay the departure to the next day. He had to do something first.

He went to find Kakashi.  
He was – not puzzled, he knew Itachi had to go in the end – but, quite nervous.  
"Yeah, like – listen to me. You're going tomorrow, yep?  
We'll see again, since you're coming back here sometimes, right?  
Okay, and.  
And, would you mind – okay, say it, can – WHY THE FUCK IS IT ALWAYS SO DIFFICULT?"  
"OH. WELL.  
I…I don't know…Or well. Well. Ehm…o-okay. We'll see…this – evening?"  
Kakashi smiled like an idiot. '_FUCK YEAH!'  
_"Yesss. Huh. Okay. Then. Are you going to get your peer?"  
"No, I'm going to" he couldn't help laughing "_give my farewell_ to someone else, if you don't mind…"  
Kakashi's face became stone-like.  
"Mh. Key. You'll pay. I can't stop you. Why do you have to do…?"  
"Okay, I go, yeah? See you later!"  
And Itachi ran away, laughing out loud to the twofold jealousy of Kakashi.  
This was awkward, yeah, it had always been – so, awkward for awkward, at least ENJOY it.  
Itachi went to Naruto's house and found there him and Jiraya, talking of the Kyuubi thing and the masked man.  
They were discussing about – "Who this man was?" – and "What to do with the Kyuubi now?"  
"But listen to me, Jiraya, it's only six years.  
Only six years…it's not – and the Kyuubi! Please…let's think of it at least.  
We still have some time to wait…it's not only about – you know – him – oh, hi, you!"  
Naruto jumped off the bed – Jiraya was sitting on the ground – ran to Itachi and hugged him, kissing his cheek.  
"Naru – oh, Jesus – excuse me"  
"What excuse?" said Jiraya "It's human…" smiling.  
Itachi nodded, but didn't smile.  
He was thinking of his going away.  
Leaving Naruto here – with his own ghost.  
But he had only one ghost.  
Instead, in Itachi's life, everyone was a ghost – but Kakashi and Naruto.  
Tenth of ghosts.  
His clan, Sasuke, the Akatsuki, and more, more.  
Sasuke would be more a presence than a ghost.  
A beautiful and good presence, the only one thing left of him.  
It was better that Naruto took it – yeah, better to leave it to him.  
The strange thing was that Sasuke was the only one thing left for the two of them – Naruto and Itachi.  
But, still, Naruto never had anything else.  
Itachi at least had had a family – known his parents. And he had had a brother.  
He joined their argument about the Kyuubi and the man.  
He followed Jiraya in telling Naruto to rewind time.  
"You have to remember that people over 80 years are always right.  
He told you to rewind back, and you have to do it.  
No question, it's like it…"  
"But why?" asked Naruto.  
"Because." answered Jiraya.  
Itachi intervened:  
"Yeah, Jiraya, I have to plead you – something Tsunade told me and I tell you.  
Don't get killed. You must be with him."  
"Yeah, but, Naruto, could you leave us alone for a moment?"  
"You two want to talk about the Anbu thing? I know it!" answered Naruto.  
Jiraya replied:  
"No, I have to warn HIM about – something.  
Nothing – okay, leave us and stop, yeah?"

_Osanna in excelsis_


	12. Such A Perfect Illusion

BENEDICTUS (nel nome):

_You heard it calling but you turned your face, never played your part_

Naruto looked him, thoughtful, for some moments and then understood:  
"OH, NO!  
You don't want me to be a nun, yeah?  
I'm human too…Itachi, don't listen to him.  
You can't block me from…oh, come on, Jiraya!"  
"I still think that you're too young!"  
Itachi laughed:  
"I think that no father would accept it, Naruto…it's normal…"  
Naruto answered, nervously:  
"Yeah and it's normal that we – I – oh, come on!  
But in the end you can't forbid me to do it" he said to Jiraya.  
Jiraya answered:  
"NO, but I can forbid HIM".  
Itachi changed quickly subject:  
"Yeah, okay everything, but first of all – we have to see this thing.  
Jiraya, you know that that man helped me in – doing that thing.  
You know that he was the one who liberated the Kyuubi, alright?  
I found something on him.  
It has been me to look for him, for the clan thing – I needed help.  
So, it must mean that I knew who he was.  
I found something on him, somewhere – I'm sure, but I can't remember it.  
I'm not sure if it has been himself or Danzou to erase these memories.  
But I can't find them anymore.  
Who was this man, Jiraya?"  
"Well, I think something completely different.  
All right, it _was_ written on the prophecy.  
It even talked of the Sacrifice – I mean, Sasuke.  
There should be a sacrifice – but we can say it has been a side-effect.  
In fact, wasn't it for Sasuke's thing, you – Naruto – wouldn't have killed him so soon.  
The Kyuubi hated him because _you _hated him.  
It had all been foreseen".  
"Okay, but, still…I don't want to come back.  
I can't wait years – and if in these years, he gets – someone else?  
Be it clear, Jiraya, it's not that I am so stupid, I know where this is going to end…I mean.  
Okay? I don't want to rewind!  
I want to stay – to be this way – NOW…"  
"Nope.  
You will get back and stop.  
Now I have to look for Kakashi to make him understand the same, even if I think he already wants you to do it.  
He'll tell you later.  
And – OKAY?" he asked Itachi, in the end.  
Itachi looked at him and didn't answer, but nodded.  
It was not an _'Okay I don't'_ but a _'Don't worry, it's alright and you know'_.  
Thus the young communicates with the elder.  
Jiraya went to find Kakashi.  
Itachi sat on the bed.  
"Okay, to be quick: tomorrow I leave.  
I'm getting back sometimes – but I hope you will have a life on your own by then."  
"Huh.  
You're going away? But why?  
You could still stay here – c'mon, you're all acting in such a…"  
"It's for him.  
You can understand?  
I can't stand – seeing this place – _his _place.  
And I really can't stay here in the village like nothing happened – I actually slaughtered the police clan.  
Can you understand?"  
"…Yes. But…" he sulked and stopped talking.  
"C'mon, I will survive!  
You'll see me again!  
I actually promised Tsunade that I won't die…don't worry…"  
He patted him on the head and caressed his hair.  
Naruto smiled.  
"I already lost an Uchiha, I don't want to lose another.  
However, you have to face the fact that if you should rebuild the clan…ehm…I mean…you should…have a wife, no?"  
Itachi laughed, but he was serious.  
"C'mon, there's time for that. It's not time now to do it".  
Naruto smiled devilish.  
"Yeah, it's not time for _it_ now.  
You said you're leaving tomorrow?  
Last night, last straw?"  
Itachi blushed and looked astray. '_Why has he always to be so direct?'  
_"…" Itachi smiled. Like an idiot.  
Naruto looked him annoyed. '_So what? You move or not? I'm waiting'  
_Itachi laughed.  
Naruto looked like he was getting angry.  
He was already nervous, yeah –and he – teasing him in this way! '_You're gonna make me go mad'_. He asked him:  
"Hello? C'mon? Are you still with us?"  
"But Jesus Christ, it's not so easy – you know!" burst out Itachi.  
"No.  
I don't." and he looked him straight in the eyes, still sulking with an angry glance.  
Itachi had to move.  
Now or never – he didn't know much of women's psychology, but he understood where this would end.  
Naruto would get offended and refuse to be consoled.  
But all Itachi did was hiding his face in his hands. And laughing.  
"You're_ charging_? Itachi!"  
That hysteric voice tone.  
That grin, "OKAY, OKAY…I'm not made of ice either, but you're getting maniacal…"  
He said it.  
Naruto jumped on him and threw him to lie down on the bed.  
He tapped his mouth kissing him and nearly choked him.  
Itachi grabbed his head with both hands and let him do.

The morning after, Kakashi drank coffee for the first time in his life and asked Asuma a cigarette (we don't know if he ever smoked before).  
He had passed the last night with Jiraya and Guy, drinking like animals – Jiraya at some point of the night evoked a bunch of toads to do nothing in particular, later he forgot it and the toads went around the place doing whatever they liked, since Jiraya didn't let them go back – he neither knew they were there.  
Kakashi laughed like an idiot the whole time.  
Of course he was swearing, inside, against – quite anything.  
That Sasuke was dead.  
That Naruto would get back – '_and NOPE – hold the urge back for the next - YEARS?'  
_But he had decided to not get the chance before.  
This would be very coward of him – he _knew_ Naruto _was_ 16, not 22.  
It was still called pedophilia.  
'_And then, THE FUCK – Itachi, yes?'  
_Itachi did! And he – Itachi neither!  
Shit…Itachi was going away the next day, and still Itachi was – '_okay, 20.  
But in fact…I told him to come to my house this evening.  
But I'm avoiding him. I went out for this reason. He'll go there, find no one and go back to Naruto.  
It's still better this way, no?'  
_The morning after, Kakashi was wasted.  
He hadn't slept.  
His stomach was in a total kerfuffle.  
Then he saw Itachi arriving, moving as he was walking on clouds with sunshine on his heart.  
Kakashi was angry – but he laughed.  
Oh, it was impossible.  
He laughed seeing Itachi's face.  
That totally fucked-up/brain-addled expression.  
"Hey…well?"  
"Well, well…well. How are you?" Itachi sniffed.  
"Did you drink? You're stinking of alcohol like a…"  
"Yeah, I'm going to take a bath.  
You're stinking of sweat…" he laughed.  
"Okay, okay, provoke me.  
_I'm coming too_, taking a bath."  
"Thus you provoke me.  
Don't tickle a sleeping dog."  
"But, Kakashi, it is the PUBLIC bath!"  
"Mh mh.  
You still don't know that _I_ have _my_ private bath in _my_ house?"  
"…You bastard…you knew…"  
"No. I foresaw it. Strike!"  
"_Buffer zone_, yeah. Why the hell did i say it...you're using me!"  
"And you'll like it…you're coming?"  
"I hate you."  
"Save this for later. Why the fuck did I drink last night…"  
Itachi laughed.  
"Oh, _sorry._ It was so difficult to accept?"  
Kakashi slapped him on the nape and walked on, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him.  
Itachi laughed again. But the streets weren't empty – they met people and Itachi said:  
"You want to put out posters then? Leave me…it's quite obvious thus…"  
"Oh, but what did you think? I am simply bringing you to the – ehm – bah – _there_, to make sure you go before leaving. Because you're leaving _this evening_, yes?"  
"Kakashi...I should walk… and I only say this...I still have to pick up Deidara…"  
"Yeah, yeah, something like – around 8 o'clock you will leave. And pick him up. Now you pick up…"  
Itachi slapped him on the nape and told him to shut up.  
And Kakashi did, giggling.  
Itachi sulked but couldn't help smiling.  
Alright, he was in a total panic _inside_ – WHAT HOW WHY?  
But he was only facing an obstacle – and he perfectly knew how to dodge it.  
He sighed, and before Kakashi turned to watch him – he had already put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Alright…" he began laughing again "Alright…"

Actually Kakashi lasted some 6 hours – in the early afternoon they left his home to go to the ramen place (do ninjas ever eat anything else?).  
They found Naruto there, and Kakashi had to be clear and put the last word to their discussion.  
"NO, you come back, I'll wait and – I'll wait YOU. Okay?"  
Naruto could only answer "Yes…" and looked Itachi, hopefully.  
Itachi opened the eyes wide and burst out:  
"Nope, Jesus Christ, I'm not a machine!"  
Someone in the place turned to him and commented:  
"No? Really?"  
Itachi smiled to him and turned to the other two again.  
He was there to talk, when Shikamaru entered the restaurant to tell them this: Asuma decided to call his son Sasuke.  
Naruto was pleased – but he always had a worry about Sasuke.  
Which worry now was that he was '_thinking constantly the less about him_'.  
Yeah, he was like – fading. Fading in his mind.  
In his heart, or you may call it soul (either, they both don't exist) Sasuke was a constant presence.  
Every time his mind fell on his memory, his heart released a spark which pulled the trigger – and he cried.  
But he felt that every time he cried, Sasuke's memory's frequency in his mind lowered.

'_This is what people call forgetting?  
But I still ain't forgetting _him_.  
I'm forgetting his being alive, here, physically with me.  
I'm forgetting the possibility – the chance to _see_ him and _talk_ to him again.  
I'm forgetting his _acting_ – his _doing_ – his _living_ – not his _being_.  
It's like – once someone has been, one will always be.  
It's like once you begin to _be_, it doesn't matter how long it lasts – you will be, endlessly.  
Hopelessly, maybe – but surely endlessly.  
This means, I am not forgetting his _being_, his _existence_ – but what DOESN'T and WON'T exist anymore, of him.  
This means I am forgetting _hisghost_.  
Is it right?  
I must think of it, before doing it.  
If I forget his ghost – this is what only I remember about him.  
This isn't anywhere else – if I push it out of my mind, I will never find it again.  
It will never come back.  
I would lose it – forever.  
Where's the point now?  
How do you live with a ghost?  
Think of it – what 'case history' I got?  
Who lived with ghosts in his mind – holding to them like they were still living?  
Mh. Who do I know…?  
Wait. Itachi. How did Itachi live before – me?  
_…_What a shit of a life…always closed behind, under and beneath his grudge…always coveted by that wall of smoke –  
WAIT – this is the ghost? All his ghosts…  
And who else lived with ghosts?  
Sasuke.  
He, the same – that curtain of smoke that was blackened by Orochimaru.  
Hey, hey, wait, I understand…  
If there weren't the smoke, Orochimaru wouldn't have been able to blacken him.  
The smoke let Orochimaru apply, plug in, infect and hijack him.  
The smoke – it's a weakness.  
A point of entry for the enemy.  
A fall in the system.  
A bug in defense.  
A hole in the wall.  
Itachi had to struggle, inside himself, to stand this danger – to keep also the smoke under his control.  
Itachi had been nearly lost – Sasuke was lost.  
Whoever lived with ghosts?  
That masked man. The demons – they were like ghosts.  
And Kurama's presence's ghost made him go mad.  
Be careful with ghosts, it means…  
Look at the three of them.  
And Neji? When he was younger, he was full of hate – wasted, himself, by his father's ghost.  
Ghosts.  
They are all ghosts.  
They have all been wasted – eroded – carved – corroded – dissolved – melted by and into their ghosts.  
To think of it – everyone I knew, who has been wasted by life – carried ghosts with him.  
So this means that – all we are wasted by is ghosts.  
But – think of it.  
Every time I cry, or well – every time _these_ tears are dropped by my eyes' _(cause he didn't actually feel the sadness, the dejection, the typical misery of crying in mourning – he only felt the hot and slightly salty water drops touching his eyes in the moment they fell – and no internal feeling) _"but, I feel just like I – _released_ him.  
Just like I _let_ him out, yeah, totally, I _drop_ him.  
Or well, this _ghost of a gone chance_.  
This ghost of a possible chance, lost.  
Think of it; when was the last time Itachi cried? __And Sasuke? He never cried.  
And the masked man?  
They all look - unable to cry. _Not allowed_ to cry.  
It's not the 'Shinobi tears' thing.  
They don't allow themselves to cry, because thus they would lose their ghosts.  
Maybe they think that their ghosts keep their heart pounding.  
But this is just – physically impossible.  
C'mon, did humans forget they are animals?  
Do they really behave like machines because they think they ARE?'  
_

And, just as a certain machine Naruto doesn't know does, do they believe they have a MEMORY?  
An HARD DISK, we mean.  
Not the temporary memory – the RAM, where you keep the open applications running – where you put the temporary files.  
Are they afraid to lose their data, because the RAM doesn't save it – and when you shut it down the data will be lost?  
DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE THEIR RAM – brain – HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN, they _won't be able to think_ anymore?  
SO WHY SAVE DATA?  
They believe, they do really believe – that they have a device in their minds which _writes down on neurons _what they think?  
This IS physically impossible.  
They choose the other's mind, the other's memories – because this is like a ROM to them.  
They choose ROM, rather than the RAM.  
Yeah, the ROM in a way saves your data – as long as the other is alive, it's like an open book for you.  
You can look into his mind, read what you want and – leave the book and close it up when you don't need it.  
But the ROM allows you only to read.  
It's the RAM which allows you to _write_.  
If others do write their own, why should you only read?  
You're so coward that you don't have the strength of will to _write_?  
Do they really think their ghost is somewhere in their minds, _somewhere_ – just like the mind _had_ a body, taking up space.  
They may believe that the mind's space is the brain.  
Let's state this once and for all: _the mind_ is to _the brain_ as the _digestion_ is to the _stomach, _as the _flowing_ is to the _blood.  
_Mind is a reaction – an action – an event – a process – which works like a thing.  
But mind ISN'T a thing.  
Neither a thing.  
Mind isn't.  
Minimalist computational logic.  
Never mind.  
Think.

_In nomine_


	13. I Will Make You Mine

AGNUS DEI: 

_Next to the last song_

The Sand Country invited Tsunade and all her court there, to celebrate the Demons Hall.  
There had been half an official fight between allies about it.  
The matter was its name; Konoha wanted 'Sasuke', the Kazekage wanted absolutely it to be 'Naruto'.  
In the end it was Naruto to choose it, and he couldn't help thinking that it should be called 'Kurama'.  
So they did; Yamato carved the 'Kurama' writing in wood, and the rites to bring all the demons there began.  
They should last at least two weeks – weeks in which Gaara and Naruto rejoined each other.  
Naruto told him of Kakashi.  
His answer was bursting out laughing and pointing at Naruto while he fell down the chair.  
In the end he managed to breathe enough to state:  
"I KNEW IT! I TOTALLY KNEW IT! It was… oh, well…nothing…"  
"You better watch out! I'm OLDER and stronger than you now!"  
"Yeah, think of it.  
You will undergo the coming-back rite here. Tsunade is here, Jiraya evokes the toads – wait, how do you call him?"  
"Ero-sennin. He's a total pervert!  
You know, he treated Kakashi…"  
While Naruto told him everything about what happened in the last months, Gaara went on laughing.  
And downstairs the others went on talking.  
The other countries had brought there their Jinchuurikis (the free ones) and many of them were thinking of keeping their demon – doing like Naruto.  
Though this was impossible then.  
No one knew – neither Naruto, yet – HOW to bind the demons to the Jinchuurikis.  
Naruto would discover it later – after the rite he simply woke up with the thing done.  
The only chance was, now, to put the demons in the hall.  
The demons suggested that behind the hall would be built a big hospital – an International Hospital.  
Their chakra, their enormous amount of chakra, could be used to heal people.  
And even to keep alive the ones that wouldn't survive by themselves.  
The Kazekage was so happy when he knew of this idea that he asked Sakura to move to live there, and teach him medical jutsu.  
Tsunade couldn't, since she was the Hokage.  
But Naruto said:  
"What the hell now? Now I can become Hokage!  
I DIDN'T THINK OF THIS!  
I'm old enough-"  
"You'd be the same!  
I am Kage and we are peers. But you know, as far as she is alive SHE WILL be the Kage.  
You'll replace her when she dies.  
Which thing I think will happen in – some – fifty years?"  
Actually, Gaara didn't know that Tsunade was older – and used jutsu to look younger.  
This was a sincere statement, not a flatter – but Tsunade smiled from ear to ear, and decided she'd loved this guy for his whole life.  
"YEAH, quite like" she answered "You'll have to wait, my dear.  
You don't want to become Hokage now, no?  
You're too young…no hard feelings, Naruto, but you don't have HIS brain".  
"It's only because he told you that you're young!  
Tsu – Yond – Hokage! HOKAGE! I call her Hokage…" he ended up moaning, seeing Shizune getting more and more angry in hearing him.  
"But I still was thinking that we should…  
We need" he paused to think. Then:  
"A manager for the hospital.  
Not that you will have to manage things here, but you understand…a chief. A neutral chief.  
Would you accept?"  
Naruto thought of it.  
"But, being always among injured people…but, Kurama is the strongest demon…if he isn't here….Moreover, if he IS here…he's the most useful…Yeah, yeah, kind like…Okay".  
He turned to look Kakashi and added:  
"At least for the next years, alright? Then I hope I'll go back to Konoha. Or, well, _someone else_ from the village could come here with me! Why not, Kaka-"  
"Because I already served in Anbus. I'm not neutral. I'm a military. You'll have to wait me until you come back. Isn't it so?"  
He ended the sentence looking at Gaara, for help.  
But Gaara said:  
"No, no. Wait, I was thinking.  
You _could_ train our army.  
Our intelligence isn't half as good as yours.  
You were in the Anbus, yeah?  
Come back there. You'll be seconded to the Sand Country Intelligence Training Project – right, Hokage?  
With many others, I hope…What about…  
Oh, where's Itachi gone?"  
"We don't know" answered Kakashi. "But as soon as he comes back, we'll hijack him here. Now, Naruto, have a word…before…"  
Gaara intervened:  
"Yeah, but I think he'll come back with you in Konoha and later come here –  
WHAT'S UP?"  
"He'll come back with you in Konoha" had had a bad effect on Naruto.  
He was run in Gaara's arms and burst out crying, grabbing his shirt and hanging on it.  
Of course, Gaara KNEW Sasuke was dead – but they hadn't talked of this, the previous hours.  
They had only laughed together – at anything.  
And – Naruto had held it until now – but now, with Gaara, HIS Gaara – he was crumbled and melted down, like the weir had ceded.  
When he stopped crying, he suddenly remembered that he had also SOMETHING ELSE to tell him.  
Neji.  
This made him think of something.  
He turned to Sakura and said:  
"It will be better if you come here – you and Shikamaru and Neji, at least".  
"What do you want to do?" she replied – she had already began to follow his decisions, as he would be her chief there.  
"I want to study and apply psychiatry and psychology. We have to solve some things"  
Gaara said:  
"You'll enjoy the presence of our sages, then. They really know much about human psychology, human mind, human ontology.  
The only thing they don't want to talk about is feelings – they always say: 'You'd never stand it'.  
Are you alright?"  
Naruto looked him straight in the eyes, thoughtful.  
"In the next days… I have to tell you something. Something happened to – oh, alright, never mind"  
He stopped because he remembered that Kakashi was there.  
No, Kakashi hadn't understood it.  
He didn't know of Neji – of what he'd done.  
Gaara nodded.  
They all went to have a tea.

While the rites went on, and many people who were involved in it disappeared from public life – to work, the ones left visited the city.  
It was impressive: everything had been built with Sand – actually Gaara could change the shape of a building only thinking of it.  
That's why he first built the hospital – then changed it some 15 times following Naruto, Sakura and Tsunade's advices.  
Naruto noticed that he and Sakura were constantly getting closer.  
It was quite normal, for him: Gaara had the same features that Sakura liked in Sasuke.  
He was cold, concrete as stone – THE male, as females see it.  
The column – the trunk of the three where they would give birth and bloom to flowers.  
The only thing that Gaara didn't do, suggested by Sakura, was putting some pink ribbons all over the female department.  
"Okay everything, but this is the gayest thing – oh – ehm – this is – SO EMO.  
It's sexist, and you know it…"  
Sakura in the end agreed.  
Then she turned to Naruto and said:  
"You see?  
He's really kind!  
At least he's a bit sensitive – not a total coarse scoundrel like you!"  
"Me? But I didn't…oh, alright.  
Guess you're right"  
Sakura looked him, bewildered.  
"Have you become gay?"  
Kakashi and Naruto blushed like two idiots, watching seriously the building.  
After three minutes of silence, Kakashi said:  
"Yeah but I think you won't need the chimneys, here…Kazekage…" and laughed.  
"Shit! I didn't notice! Naruto, what chimneys? Hahahah…"  
Naruto was still thoughtful – he whispered:  
"What about Itachi…how is him now…?"  
Kakashi sighed.  
"I SWEAR the first time he comes back I'll buy you a device to get in contact with him.  
Calm down, he's Uchiha fucking Itachi, he won't get killed, shit, Naruto…"  
Naruto whispered, in reply:  
"You're jealous…"  
"Twice! And you laugh!"  
Naruto looked him, surprised, and then slapped him on the nape.  
"You WHAT?"  
"Ehm.  
You – we?  
Ehm, we…We.  
We – kind of…"  
Then he smiled innocently and turned to Gaara to change subject:  
"Yes, and I thought I - AAAARGH!"  
Naruto had actually jumped ON him and grabbed his hair – by which he was hanging now, trying to pull him down.  
Kakashi wriggled to get free, but Naruto didn't leave hold of his hair, until Kakashi turned to grab him and push him down – and Naruto began to beat him as he was a punching ball.  
"You – RRRRRRRH – Huh, so – it's so, huh? Okay, okay…you'll see…"  
"He only paid what he got…he called it the _buffer zone_ thing…."  
Naruto was left wordless.  
"And then – I am the vulgar one!  
He – did you hear him?" he asked to Gaara.  
"Wait…_buffer zone_…he who?" answered him, and couldn't help laughing.  
"Itachi!  
I should have known!  
You could at least tell me!"  
Kakashi laughed while Naruto went on slapping and punching his chest.  
"You look SO LITTLE when you act like this…"  
Naruto looked him angrily and punched his stomach – of course with no effect.  
Or well, the effect was:  
"AWWW…"  
"But fuck it, Kakashi, I'm not a kitty!"  
Gaara burst out laughing like an idiot, and Sakura too.  
She hadn't understood a thing of that quarrel, but in fact Naruto _looked_ like a kitty.  
Gaara took breath and told him:  
"However I wish that you come back the soonest possible.  
I'd rather have you here as a peer…"  
Kakashi took his chance:  
"You see?  
Even he tells you so!"  
Naruto got completely angry:  
"It's only because you can have HIM!"  
Sakura thought _'WHAT?' _ but didn't ask him.  
Gaara burst out laughing again.  
You understood WHY they are called _GAYS_?

The next two weeks were more or less the same.  
The only thing relevant is that Naruto told Gaara about Neji.  
"Oh. What does it feel like?"  
"A BUNCH OF SHIT RIGHT DOWN THE THROAT.  
It feels like you were VOMITING A MOUNTAIN.  
It feels like the SKY WENT CONCRETE and you can neither HOLD IT UP, nope, YOU HAVE NO ARMS.  
The sky falls on you and YOU CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT.  
It feels like you were BREATHING SHIT.  
I'm not exaggerating it.  
You feel like you HAD ASHES in veins INSTEAD OF BLOOD.  
I, personally, felt like a prey – hunted, caught, killed and eaten.  
This, because he reminded me of a dog. I actually felt like he ATE ME.  
It's just the same feeling".  
Gaara was baffled.  
"Now I understand what you want to do with psychologists.  
You want to delve into these feelings – to help people who fell in it, to save them.  
And you also want to study the resurrection, for Sasuke, yes?  
Poor of you.  
You can rely on me.  
I will do anything I can to help you.  
I want to learn the medical jutsu myself – to serve therein.  
I'm only sorry I wasn't there.  
But maybe, first of all, we have to facilitate the complaint and support the ones who are stalked.  
The saying here goes 'better safe than sorry'."  
"You're right.  
And, with Itachi…well, by me, it has been only a – well – material thing.  
With Kakashi I think the same – but he and I actually care for Itachi.  
He's always been so alone…"  
"However, I wanted to ask you – ehm – Sakura…now…?"  
"No no, and be sure…she'll agree!"  
"Oh" said Gaara, looking the table, totally concentrated on the tea cup.  
He studied it for five minutes long and then said:  
"Oh. Well. Welcome home"

_Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi_


	14. Leaf: You, Once Again

COMMUNIO:  
Lux Aeterna

_Your heart ain't singing but you dance away like a falling star_

Itachi came back once and didn't find Naruto there in Konoha.  
He found Kakashi, however – he had decided to stay there waiting for him.  
He gave him that 'device' we said: a bird. It had been trained in the Sand Country and Naruto sent it to him, to give it to Itachi.  
Itachi asked him about Naruto, and Kakashi told him everything.  
About the hospital, the coming-back-rite – everything went well.  
The interesting thing was that Naruto had had a revelation – he had been enlightened upon something their people discovered thousands of years before, and they still were treating it as an emotional-interrelationship-thing.  
They believed its meaning referred to relationships between human beings, they believed its meaning explained some feelings they should have towards another (different, of course) human being.  
Psychologists have still to understand what syndrome is this.  
The constant research of _another_ human being, the need of another human being.  
The perseverance in existing, accepting, comprehending, being and feeling – only _when another human being is involved.  
_The 'I AM NOT, by myself. I _exist_ when someone believes I do'.  
This IS completely unconceivable.  
How can they justify it, when they choose to believe it?  
However, that symbol Naruto understood – eventually – was simply a statement on the properties of an element.  
Element, which, moreover, in that symbol isn't specified.  
You can't see the element.  
You can only see the two specified properties – or well, call them features.  
The element referred to is implied, covert – it was taken for granted that one knew what the symbol talked about.  
That symbol had been invented in the middle of a discussion – _everyone_ knew what it was referred to.  
It was obvious.  
Later, someone copied the symbol to transmit it forward – but in some point of this chain of transmission, someone _didn't_ understand something – some constituents were lost.  
The result is that now we can't comprehend – we have no data – the element in discussion.  
We only see the symbol, and of course – correctly – we process what we see.  
But we don't process it correctly.  
The interesting matter-human mind relationship.  
What Naruto did understand was: this symbol was referred to _matter_.  
The two features which are proper only to the matter: what does matter, and only matter, do?  
Physically speaking, thus speaking of physics.  
Matter reflects light.  
Matter creates shadow.  
This, my dears, is what the Tao means.  
The two dots are the plug-ins of a channel of communication – something the two features have in common.  
Of course, this channel _is_ the element – matter.  
Matter shines, matter shades.  
Matter is the only thing existing. Whatever else, we _conceived_ it; it doesn't exist the same.  
Matter is the only thing existing. The difference between what does exist and what doesn't is, in fact, that what exists has a body.  
How do we call what _exists_ and what _doesn't_?  
True and false.  
Matter is truth.  
Truth shines.  
When you have to choose what to think, what to look for, what to use as a basis to ground something – you have to choose what _shines_.  
This is matter, this is true, this WILL WORK, this is concrete, this is stable, THIS IS FUNCTIONAL.  
So, it's right.  
You only have to look for its shining – it will create shadow on its own.  
You clearly see the litmus test.  
Sasuke wronged it – Sasuke failed.  
That was _why_ Sasuke mustn't look for shadow.  
If it isn't shining, it isn't the truth. That was why Orochimaru was the wrong case, and _in_ the wrong case. It was darkness.  
And they still called it so, and they didn't understand.  
Being it pure instinct – didn't he _feel_ that something was wrong? Didn't he feel that something didn't fit?  
We won't ask him to have mercy, compassion or pity of another – whoever else – human being.  
We won't ask him to link elements between – his brother service in the secret police/intelligence at the AGE OF 12 – and his change of personality.  
Do Ninjas really think that a teenager should serve in the military – or worse – intelligence constabulary?  
Are Ninjas completely brain-addled?  
Did they really think it was _normal_ for Itachi – that it was _bearable_ – that it wouldn't HURT him, as the child he was?  
Ok teaching them how to defend themselves – but if you teach a teenager how-to-kill it's quite normal he'll go mad!  
But, okay, Naruto didn't understand this.  
Naruto moved by instinct – he didn't KNOW it, but he followed it the same.  
He only understood, during the rite, that Tao thing.  
But when he explained it to the others, no one believed him.  
It was simply – a trauma.  
They couldn't cope with oncoming traumas, even after all the traumas they faced in their life.  
It was something they didn't already know.  
There are human beings for whom it is unconceivable, to avoid a panic crisis anytime they face an unknown thing.  
Think about the ability of defense these human beings have.  
Think about how much they are trustable – always afraid, always paralyzed, always out of their control, always unconscious of what they do – BUT DOING.  
Think about – how much is FUNCTIONAL, acting like this.  
None.  
Nope.  
We don't have neither time nor matter to waste doing this.  
They think they have. How can they?

Then Kakashi directly asked Itachi:  
"How long are you staying in town?"  
Itachi smiled and then laughed.  
"I forgot how _human_ human beings are. I think I won't stay here more than a week.  
I thought that few days could be enough, but if you insist…"  
"Yes, yes, I insist.  
I'm training like an animal these months. I don't where to vent out energy. Yes, quite like. You can't talk of what you're doing, I think?"  
"Absolutely not.  
I'm still espying about that thing – the Akatsuki. But it's really quite difficult.  
Now I have to talk to Jiraya and Tsunade first. But you don't know I'm doing it…alright?"  
"Uhu. And I don't know what you're telling him?"  
"No, you don't even know what we are talking about. It's something Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraya know.  
But you neither know this"  
"No, and I don't even know I don't know.  
I know whether you're staying by me these days?"  
"That's the exact reason why I didn't bring Deidara. Yes, you know that yes, I will".  
"FUCK YEAH!"  
"KAKASHI!"  
Kakashi laughed. "I still sometimes KNOW you are up there!"  
"Man, I even made you believe in God?"  
"You are the certain proof of his existence. Only he could create you"  
Itachi blushed and smiled.  
"You're flattering me...what do you want in particular? See..."  
This time it was Kakashi to blush.  
"We'll...talk of it this evening, yeas? I … I don't know! See you later!"  
Itachi sighed.  
He went to tell Jiraya about that thing.  
We don't know how Itachi knew about Jiraya's involvement in this; but he knew.  
He knew that the three Sannin – Tsunade, Jiraya and Orochimaru – had met the person who ruled the Akatsuki as a child.  
He had to inform Jiraya about what he knew.  
Jiraya was puzzled – he knew this child of his had become a murderer of the worst kind, but to _this _point…  
He wondered about his reasons to look for the demons.  
He decided he had to make a trip there – but Itachi deterred him from doing it.  
"You'd only risk anything for nothing, at the present state of things.  
I'll gather more information and you'll move when you'll have something to move on.  
Don't worry, for the moment he is practically harmless – without the Akatsuki.  
And without the Kyuubi he can't do a thing of what he wants.  
That Rinnegan thing, however, is really a pain in the back. What can you use against it?  
Moreover, how can you get safe from it?  
We could even ask Naruto to pay him a visit, later. You think this is right, like I do?"  
"I think it is right. Naruto is the trigger.  
Now, will you tell Danzou about this thing?"  
"Yeah, this thing too.  
Now I have to go. Bye…"  
Danzou agreed about sending their Jinchuuriki there.  
Of course they all thought of a battle.  
No one could expect from Naruto the incredibly wonderful thing he DID – converting this man to goodness.  
Purifying and correcting his state of mind – bringing him on the right way.  
There was another thing, about the Tao, that Naruto understood.  
They always knew the Tao spoke of good and evil.  
Dropping the evil – since Naruto, thinking quite as an animal does (because of the Kyuubi, and of his being his Jinchuuriki for the third generation in a row), couldn't SEE evil – what was left was GOOD.  
So the Tao spoke of GOOD.  
But it spoke of matter – so matter is closely related to good.  
Thinking like an animal, matter is food.  
What is the law of food?  
There should be food.  
Food mustn't lack. You mustn't miss food.  
Matter mustn't lack.  
Good is: that matter is conserved now.  
Better is: that more matter is conserved for a longer time.  
Best is: that ALL matter is conserved in the best way and for the longest time possible.  
That man ruling the Akatsuki – nomen omen: Pain – knew and wanted GOOD.  
His plan was: make up an incredibly violent war, in which all the pain, the violence, the hate and the aggressiveness of humans could be – burst out.  
Consume them – quench the human thirst for evil – _give them enough_.  
He didn't know that only evil creates evil. And that evil creates only evil.  
Evil and good are like matter with antimatter – none works for the other.  
But they destroy each other in contact.  
If the evil is bigger than the good – it deletes the good, and still a bit of evil is left.  
What is left is evil – and vice versa.  
Naruto convinces Pain to leave the path he had chosen, since:  
-Good could be created only by good. This means, to end up with good, you must move with good.  
-Almost all the matter involved in this discussion was still existing. Almost everything could be recovered. It was WORTH it.  
-Even Pain could be recovered. His body needed some time to come back to his original – human – shape; but this time HE HAD. He could do it.  
Even PAIN'S matter could be recovered.  
And this is another thing Naruto then understood, and Sasuke and all the others didn't.  
The only thing worth fighting for – and doing for – is MATTER.  
The matter you're made of.  
You are worth the piece of matter you're made of.  
For the world in itself, you are only worth the atoms you're made of.  
Give them back to it and he'll be content.  
For yourself, now, being alive, you have only to conserve –you – your matter.  
So, you have to survive.  
Nothing else.

Itachi came back to Konoha to ask for orders, after the Pain thing had been solved.  
Danzou told him to stay there, in the village, to move there definitely.  
He told him that he had asked the Kazekage about Deidara – and the Kazekage said it was an "ended discussion".  
Deidara could be free – the Sand Country refused to put him under trial.  
He had been absolved.  
So, Danzou told Itachi to move to live in Konoha – and with Deidara.  
They both had to serve in Anbus – of course – but the village people would accept them.  
Danzou also told him another thing.  
"I want you to tell the truth about your clan.  
I'll support you and ground your confession.  
There will be also other things you don't know – act like you never knew.  
Right? This will be believed my fault – but I need this.  
Some people will understand that I always protected Konoha.  
I want to make my moves now.  
We need to change the order of things"  
"Yes, sir".  
When Naruto was given two weeks off duty, to see Kakashi and be celebrated in his hometown as the hero he now was once again, he of course looked first of all for Kakashi and Itachi.  
He was glad to know about Itachi's fate – "At least you will be here!"  
"Yes.  
In truth, I understood something in these months.  
I HAVE TO be here.  
Out there – I always think of him.  
_His ghost_ was obsessing me.  
Herein I can see him – in the trees, in the houses, in the things he saw and lived.  
I can trust him to these things.  
Out there, I must always keep his ghost awake in my mind – the only presence left of him was my memory.  
Here, also other things remember him.  
I can _see_ him without remembering him. And...how are you?"  
"Oh, well...I still have to tell Kakashi…ehm…do you remember… the Kazekage…he had a little brother, see? And…"  
"But, NARUTO! You're a machine gun!"  
"Yes, but NOW it's different! I mean, he and I – or well, _I_, now, do…ehm. Okay?"  
Itachi looked him, suspicious, for a minute and then asked him:  
"Does the Kazekage know?"  
"Of course NO. But it will end soon, I tell you. Moreover, their sister is always eyeing me…I think…"  
Itachi laughed:  
"Oh, you eventually came on the _right side_, yes?"  
"Huh? I think she's understood, in some way…what _right side_?"  
'_Nope'_ thought Itachi.  
He laughed.  
"Never mind. Come on now, we find Kakashi"  
"And how's going here, the two of you?"  
"How's going. He's practically getting violent, now that I have to leave – the day after tomorrow.  
Luckily I'll stay here, later, and I hope he will calm down. He misses you, yeah!"  
Naruto laughed.  
"He'll miss me for two years, at least!"  
"Hey…when we go there…I have to ask you to help me. I will go away again to find allies…to find external help – and we'll need the Kazekage. Go to Kakashi first, now"  
We'll skip Kakashi's reaction, being it obvious.  
We will jump to the most relevant thing now, Konoha's future.  
"You mean Danzou wants to make a golpe?"  
"Yes.  
Now, you, Naruto, will tell the Kazekage.  
We have to wait until he publicly confesses the truth – about me and my clan.  
Then we'll have to make people _understand_ his way of protecting Konoha.  
He's completely unreliable.  
If it is necessary, we will involve armed conflict"  
"What truth about your clan, Itachi?"  
"I'd rather wait for him to tell.  
It's quite difficult to tell, for me.  
But I have to prevent him from lying about it.  
This is what happened – or well, what I know about what happened.  
He also warned me – there will be some revelations, for me, to which I mustn't react.  
He's really gone too far.  
The only thing I can think of, now, is gathering all the forces we can and prepare to counter him.  
I'm sorry you will be involved".  
"He must be sorry for having involved Konoha in this" answered Naruto.  
"How much the fuck have you become intelligent, last months?" asked Kakashi.  
"This is Gaara's pride.  
And then, always working with all those psychologists and psychiatrists…I learned many things about the functioning of human mind".  
Kakashi answered, becoming suddenly serious:  
"You still have to tell me about this idea of yours. What are you working on?"  
Naruto didn't answer and avoided looking him.  
Itachi intervened:  
"It's post-rape-trauma coping mechanisms. They want to help the victims and prevent the crimes"  
Kakashi, of course, was left puzzled – why this?  
"Well, this is wonderful.  
I only wonder – why did you think of…?"  
Itachi was there to answer, and Naruto blocked him.  
"It's…simply that I read a book" he said.  
Itachi replied:  
"You may be intelligent but not that much.  
YOU – read – a book?"  
Kakashi:  
"And so what? What have you got to hide?  
Then, he knows and I don't?"  
Naruto looked Itachi, helpless – Itachi nodded – Naruto stood up and went out of the room.  
Kakashi looked Itachi – he _began_ to understand.  
He grabbed the table's edge with the right hand, clutched the fingers and – crunched it. The left hand pulverized the window's glass.  
"WHO?" he growled.  
"Neji" whispered Itachi.  
"WHAT?" he screamed, standing suddenly up and then falling again on the chair.  
"That was why?  
All of this time?  
That was why?  
That's what happened?  
THAT NIGHT?"  
Itachi nodded.  
"And he's – already dead. Hope he burns in-"  
"Don't blaspheme the dead. His punition won't cure Naruto's past. At least, now – that he rests in peace".  
"Rest – in – peace..." snarled Kakashi.  
He repeated, whispering:  
"Rest – in – peace…"  
He sighed, passed a hand on his face – and burst out crying.

_Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis_


End file.
